December 2012 - URSI

Conferences
CONFERENCE REPORTS
COSPAR 2012 GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Mysore, India, 14 - 22 July 2012
The 39th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on
Space Research (COSPAR) has been held at the Infosys
Campus, Global Education Centre-2 (GEC-2) in Mysore,
Karnataka India on July 14-22, 2012. The Scientific Program
on behalf of international community was coordinated by
Prof. U.R. Rao (India).
The organized Scientific Events covered the topics
related to eight Scientific Commissions of present
COSPAR Scientific Structure and joint sessions between
Commissions, as well. At the same time, six tutorial lectures
and four general and public lectures were given.
Report on activities since the 38 th COSPAR Scientific
Assembly has been presented (Council39_2.1). Current
membership of National Scientific Institutions is 46.
International Scientific Unions is 13. Associated Supporters
8 and Associates 7964. Membership changes since 2010:
two new adhering national scientific institution members
are Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute and
University Putra Malaysia and three new Associated
Supporters are China Academy of Launch Vesicle
Technology (CALT), China Academy of Space Technology
(CAST) and Orbital Sciences Corporation (USA). The
number of Associates represents a significant jump of
approximately 1353 (20%) over the figure presented at
the Bremen Assembly. Personal contact with new potential
associated supporters were derived.
During this this Assembly 3489 abstracts were
submitted (2615 number of authors, abstracts rejected 63,
abstracts withdrawn 118, number of core program scientific
events 115). Finally with the papers submitted in the last
moment is 3504 and only less than half of them were selected
to be posters. The number of papers is slightly less than in
Bremen (4488) and Montreal (3780).
Over 1500 pre-registered participants. Financial
support per person has been given up to 496 applicants, while
in 2010 it was 548. Number of grants awarded was 238,
197 in 2010, 163 in 2008, and 139 in 2006. Total funding
per participant was 131.525 Eur plus plane tickets while
in Bremen it was 141 EUR. 84 exhibitors. 78 press. 1000
attendance for public lectures. 73 countries were represented.
Publications Committee (Council39_13.1) stress that:
Space Research Today with its publications 3 times a year
is serving its purpose well for the communications between
COSPAR members, COSPAR journal Advances in Space
Research impact factor is increasing steady and now has
higher than ever before impact factor – 1.178. During last
4 years 791 papers has been published in regular issues and
212 special issues including COSPAR Colloquia. Project
under consideration: A new “Short Communications”
category with faster turnaround (Council_39_13.1).
Capacity building
4 workshops12÷15 Brazil (Council39_4.1), India
(Council39_4.2), Argentina (Council39_4.3), South
Africa (Council39_4.4). Fellowship program successful
now become permanent. Capacity Building Fellowship
program was established by the Bureau in March 2008.
A total of about 20 fellowships have been attributed, half
of them since 2010.Collaborative agreement signed with
WMO Space program.
Outreach
UNESCO Paris, January 2010 in closure of the
IYA: “Ocean and our climate seen from space”, Paris,
April 2012. The Bureau has decided that COSPAR would
organize similar events spanning all COSPAR disciplines,
in non-Assembly years. But they will not be continued on
a regular basis, but rather organized in favorable contexts
such as that offered by the IYA.
COSPAR organized, co-sponsored, or represented at
numerous meetings as, COSPAR Symposium on Planetary
protection and Space Exploration, at the STS of COPUOS
in Austria, Workshop “International Earth-based Research
program as a Stepping Stone for Global Space Exploration
in USA, Symposium on new Technologies for Future
Space Astronomy Missions in South Africa, IRSI/COSPAR
Workshop on The International Reference Ionosphere in
South Africa and COSPAR Colloquium on Protecting the
Earth and Planetary Protection Policy in Austria. COSPAR
co-sponsored 12 meetings and 19 meetings with COSPAR
participation.
34 The Radio Science Bulletin No 343 (December 2012)