ISRO to host 39th Scientific Assembly of COSPAR in July 2012

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will host the 39th Scientific Assembly of Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) at Mysore from July 14-22, 2012.

COSPAR was funded in 1958 by the International Council for Science, coinciding with the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik-I and the beginning of the space age.

It has its headquarters in Paris, France and its current president is Dr Giovanni F Bignami, the Chairman of European Space Agency`s Scientific Advisory Council.

According to a press release from ISRO, the objectives of COSPAR are of pure scientific interest without the influence of political considerations. It aims at scientific research in space at an International level, with an emphasis on exchange of results, information and opinions, and to provide a forum, open to all scientists, for the discussion of problems that may affect scientific space research.

To achieve these objectives, COSPAR holds Scientific Assemblies every two years. During these sessions, the participants present latest projects and results in posters or oral presentations.

COSPAR’s first Space Science Symposium was organised in Nice, France in January 1960. ISRO had earlier hosted the COSPAR conference in 1979 at Bangalore.

The release said the event would be held at the Global Education Centre, Infosys Campus in Mysore. Prof U R Rao, Chairman, PRL Council and former Chairman, ISRO has been elected as the Chairman, Programme Committee of COSPAR. About 3000 scientists from more than 50 countries are expected to participate in the assembly.

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