April 30, 2024
The Space Science Roadmap Formulation (SSRF) meeting was held at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)/ISRO in Bengaluru during April 22-23, 2024. The meeting was organized by URSC and Space Science program office of ISRO HQ. It drew over 200 scientists from various research centres and universities nationwide.
Six distinct space science themes were deliberated during the meeting:
The URSC director extended a warm welcome to the participants and provided introductory remarks. Shri A S Kiran Kumar, Chairperson of the APEX Science Board (ASB) of ISRO, delineated directions for ISRO’s future space science program. The Program Director of URSC elucidated the various space platforms available for community space experiments. Chairman, ISRO / Secretary, DoS contextualized the meeting's objectives and outlined the anticipated outcomes, which aimed to formulate the nation's space science roadmap with inputs from eminent scientists.
Experts from research institutes across the country delivered plenary talks on open scientific issues and global trends within the six themes. Subsequently, splinter groups engaged in focused discussions with domain experts to identify significant scientific problems for exploration in the near (2030), mid (2031-2035), and long (2035-2045) terms. The outcomes of these brainstorming sessions were presented during the Open Session on April 23, 2024.
The response to this initiative was highly positive. Suggestions were made for splinter group members to identify scientific overlaps and enhance the capacity dedicated to the space science program to ensure its sustainability.
During the concluding session, the Chairperson of ASB and the Director of URSC urged academicians to collaborate with industries to keep pace with the rapid changes in the Indian space program. They emphasized the importance of involving youth in these programs and prioritizing national goals as a community, ultimately positioning India at the forefront of space science research and exploration. They recommended that forthcoming discussions by splinter groups resulting from the SSRF meeting at URSC/ISRO be documented and reviewed, as they lay the groundwork for planning future space science research activities in the country.
Scientists from various institutes and universities participated in the meeting:
Institutes:
University/College: