The World's Largest Space Science Event to Be Held in Korea in 2024

Selected at the Closing of the 43rd International Space Research Committee (COSPAR) General Assembly on the 4th

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] South Korea has been selected as the host country for the 45th International Council for Science in Space Research (COSPAR) General Assembly to be held in 2024.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 4th, this decision was made at the closing of the 43rd COSPAR General Assembly held that day. COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) is a research committee under the International Science Council (ISC), affiliated with UNESCO, consisting of 44 member countries equipped with space infrastructure and conducting research in the space field, including domestic space science experts in solar physics and space biology, with approximately 9,000 members.

The COSPAR Korea Committee previously held the 3rd COSPAR Symposium in September 2017 in Jeju Island, with about 350 participants from 38 countries, and has been promoting the hosting of the General Assembly based on this experience.

The COSPAR General Assembly is the largest academic event in the space research field, with about 3,500 participants from over 60 countries, held biennially since 1958. Researchers in astronomy and space fields, as well as heads of space agencies from various countries including NASA, attend to discuss the development of global space research and international cooperation policies.

The 43rd General Assembly, which closed in Australia that day, was originally scheduled for July last year but postponed to January 28 to February 4 this year due to the global spread of COVID-19, and was held in a hybrid format combining online and offline participation.

The 45th COSPAR General Assembly, hosted by South Korea, will be held in Busan for 9 days from July 13 to 21, 2024, under the theme ‘Team Spirit in Space Research.’ Various invited lectures and academic presentations will be held, along with diverse public events such as a ‘Space Film Festival’ and ‘Meet the Space Scientists.’

Lee Chang-yoon, Director of the Large-scale Public Research Policy Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “The COSPAR General Assembly is the world’s largest space science event with over 4,000 academic presentations in various space fields such as space science and exploration,” adding, “Since global aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Airbus also attend, we will prepare well to utilize this as an opportunity to expand the domestic space ecosystem.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.