Strasbourg – France: From 18 to 20 February, ISU in collaboration with NASA will welcome more than 150 space experts from various space agencies, industries and academia at the occasion of its 13th Annual Symposium entitled “Space for a Safe and Secure World”.

Each academic year, ISU organizes a three-day symposium as an interdisciplinary, international forum to help both the users and the providers of space-related systems to move forward from the discussion of problems to the formulation of innovative solutions.

ISU’s 13th Annual Symposium will address space and security issues in a very broad way. As used here, the term ‘security’ includes civil, military and dual-use systems as well as the continued safe operation of space assets faced with various natural and man-made threats. It also ties into the concept of public wellbeing, in the context of systems and capabilities that promote a more ‘safe and secure’ world.

During the Cold War, the term national security was associated primarily with deterrence against strategic attack. National security systems included not only offensive and defensive weapons but also a variety of surveillance and policy operations supported by space systems. Today, the term security has come to have new meanings. In addition to deterring possible military attacks by rogue states, security systems are intended to contribute to public well-being by, for example, helping to cope with natural disasters, forestalling genocide, monitoring migration and building trust among adversary nations. Of growing global concern of course is how Earth’s environment and ecosystem are threatened by man-made and natural causes. Space systems have a central role to play in this new environment and their continued safe operation has also become vital to human security.

The issues at stake inherently call for a multi-disciplinary approach and global security considerations obviously transcend national interests, so an independent, international view is essential. All these factors make ‘Space for a Safe and Secure World’ an ideal theme for an ISU symposium. We aim to foster constructive dialogue between different sectors of the space community, as well as with participants from outside the space and security communities, that do not often interact in more specialized symposia.

Industries (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Infoterra, Thales Alenia Space etc..), and space experts from various space agencies (NASA, ESA, DLR, CSA, JAXA etc.) will discuss various topics such as:

– International Goals and Perspectives on Security
– Civil Security
– Homeland and National Security
– Military Space and Dual Use
– Space Assets and the Space Environment
– Making Earth Safer and More Secure

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend this event. Interviews and discussions with experts can be arranged. Please contact ISU’s External Relations Department either by e-mail at extrelations@isu.isunet.edu or by phone at +33 388 65 54 55/ 54 52

Caroline Schwob
External Relations Manager
International Space University
1 rue Jean-Dominique Cassini
67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden
France
Tel: 03 88 65 54 55
Fax: 03 88 65 54 47