United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Vienna International Centre, P. O. Box 500, Wien (2025)

24/10/2025

“When 80 years old you reach… look this good, you will not.”
�🎂Happy 80th Birthday to the United Nations!🥳

From peacekeeping to promoting sustainable development, the UN has always worked to shape a better future on Earth and beyond.

As the UN’s gateway to space, UNOOSA is proud to support the UN’s mission through international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space.

🌍 And the journey continues. Next week, all 193 Member States of the UN General Assembly will adopt the annual COPUOS report through a resolution on the international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Plus, we’ll have a surprise announcement!

🚀 Stay tuned as we celebrate the UN’s legacy and UNOOSA’s impact on lives around the world.

�
📸: Salih Kizilkaya

23/10/2025

🚀🌍 Help shape the future of safe and sustainable space!

UNOOSA invites you to contribute to the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTS) Information Repository— a global platform for sharing practices, policies, and innovations that enhance the safety and sustainability of space operations.

Why contribute? By submitting to the repository, you can:
✅ Highlight your space sustainability work to the international community
✅ Share your challenges, innovations, and lessons learned
✅ Support greater transparency & capacity-building in space operations worldwide.

Open to: UN Member States, permanent observers to COPUOS, private entities and NGOs. Submissions will be considered at the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of COPUOS.

The LTS Guidelines support sustainable space across four key areas:
🔹 Policy and regulatory frameworks
🔹 Safety of space operations
🔹 International cooperation and capacity-building
🔹 Scientific and technical R&D

🛰️ At UNOOSA, we work every day to advance space sustainability, supporting Member States in implementing the LTS Guidelines and working with civil society and the private sector to promote responsible behaviour in space. Through capacity-building, international dialogue and partnerships, we help ensure that outer space remains accessible and beneficial to all.

🔗 Learn more & contribute: lts.unoosa.org

21/10/2025

🛩☄️👨‍✈️A commercial airliner saw its cockpit windshield shattered by a high-altitude impact, injuring a pilot. This incident is a chilling reminder of the risks we face. While the cause is still under investigation, experts are exploring the possibility of space-debris or a meteor-fragment. Integration of airspace & space operations is therefore not theoretical but a present-day safety matter.

🇺🇳 COPUOS addresses these challenges through the Space Debris Mitigation and the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities Guidelines. These instruments provide international frameworks for preventing new debris & reducing risks from existing objects. These require national implementation. However, only 40,000 space objects are large enough to be tracked, despite estimates suggesting as many as 130 million pieces of debris.

📡 COPUOS recently established an Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness (SSA) to look at best practices and enhance capacity around national, regional, & international SSA capabilities, data-sharing, & transparency.

🔗✈️ UNOOSA, together with , is advancing work on the integration of airspace & space operations. The recent aviation incident underscores why this cooperation is essential & why action is needed with greater urgency.

♻️ Just like with our climate, the problem is not going to go away by itself. We work with countries at the forefront of active debris removal (ADR) tech to map the complex challenges involved with developing national & international guidelines to support the market for cleaning our orbital environment.

We urge States, operators, & industry to:

1️⃣ Scale up SSA capabilities to detect & monitor smaller debris fragments that still pose serious risks to spacecraft, aviation, property on Earth & human life.

2️⃣ Strengthen regulatory frameworks & implement space governance.

3️⃣ Raise awareness that what happens in orbit can have consequences at 36,000 feet & below.

4️⃣ Start considering technologies, policies, & strategies for ADR.

20/10/2025

☄️☄️🌍😱 On October 20–21, 2025, two comets — C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN) — will light up the night sky ✨ While they pose absolutely no danger to Earth, this will be a rare cosmic double feature! So grab your telescope or binoculars! 🌍🔭

🇺🇳 UNOOSA helps the world work together to keep an eye on Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) — asteroids and comets that pass close to Earth’s orbit. If any of these ever pose a threat to our planet, UNOOSA will coordinate global efforts to share information and plans how to respond.

The Office works with the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), which focuses on global detection, tracking, and notification of potentially hazardous asteroids and comets, and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), which develops coordinated strategies for planetary defence missions, including deflection or mitigation efforts. 🌍☄️

👀 see the following links for information on the functions of, and hashtag ’s Secretariat roles to, SMPAG and

1️⃣ IAWN: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/topics/neos/iawn.html

2️⃣ SMPAG - https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/sk/ourwork/topics/neos/smpag.html

3️⃣ Or see our YouTube explainer here: https://youtu.be/sw9mUqYeHgY?si=umyo6rIhWGQW1D2L

📸: Recent photos of Comet Lemmon show it shining with a rare green glow, likely caused by a specific chemical within its gaseous coma. Image credit: Dimitrios Katevainis

16/10/2025

🇨🇭🇺🇳🌌🌏 Hot off the heels of the IAC 2025 Sydney, we are in Geneva to meet with the Ambassadors of the Pacific Islands Forum (Nauru 🇳🇷, Marshall Islands 🇲🇭, Samoa 🇼🇸, Kiribati 🇰🇮, the Federated States of Micronesia 🇫🇲, Vanuatu 🇻🇺, Australia 🇦🇺, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea 🇵🇬 and Fiji 🇫🇯) to reinforce the message that space can benefit the Pacific and that UNOOSA is committed to a sustained partnership, to ensure small island States have a voice in space governance and to support the islands in accessing space solutions for tackling illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing, mitigating the impact of climate change, creating digital twins for island nations that can support disaster risk reduction plans, and so much more.

🌎 That’s not all – we had the pleasure of meeting the Bahamas 🇧🇸 and look forward to briefing the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in New York later this month – which will bring solutions to the Caribbean, all Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Commonwealth ahead of CHOGM, the Heads of Government Meeting in 2026.

🇺🇳 Director Aarti Holla-Maini also participated in the GESDA - Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Summit (GESDA) at CERN and showcased COPUOS’ leadership in establishing new mechanisms over the last year to address space traffic, space situational awareness, space sustainability, and lunar coordination (from lunar activities to lunar PNT as well as space resources).

🇨🇭 Thank you to the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNICC for taking the time to explore greater collaboration between Vienna and Geneva that can benefit the UN system during .

16/10/2025

🌍 How is space protecting the “green lung” of our planet? Join us to find out!

UNOOSA is pleased to spotlight the second installment in the ClimateSCOpe webinar series by our partners at the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO), coinciding with the United Nations Climate Change Conference ( ) in 🇧🇷Belém, Brazil.

Webinar: Eyes on the forests: How space is protecting the green lung of the planet

📅 Date: 23 October 2025
🕐 Time: 13:00–14:30 CET / UTC+2
📍 Location: Online

Discover how the BIOMASS satellite mission and SCO projects are advancing forest monitoring and protection. Real-world examples include:

🇫🇷 TropiSCO (supported by CNES): provides near real-time mapping of tropical deforestation

🇹🇭 CarbonAtlas-THA (supported by GISTDA สำนักงานพัฒนาเทคโนโลยีอวกาศและภูมิสารสนเทศ (องค์การมหาชน)): strengthens forest carbon monitoring by integrating geospatial technologies

🇮🇹 CACAO (supported by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana): uses AI and remote sensing to help forest owners monitor carbon impacts, converting them into carbon credits

🔗 Learn more and register: https://shorturl.at/KzGj8
👉 Open to all – share with your networks! Replay available if you can’t attend live.

14/10/2025

🚨Internship Opportunity: Earth Observation for Water Management 🛰️ 🌊

Want to apply space technologies to tackle water challenges? Join UNOOSA’s programme as an intern within our Space Applications Section.

As an intern, you’ll:
✅ Perform research on use of space technologies for water resource management
✅ Work with remote sensing data and geospatial analysis
✅ Contribute short articles to the Space4Water Portal
✅ Edit and update web content and other outreach materials

You'll gain hands‑on experience in data analysis, science communication, and exposure to global space-water initiatives.

📍 Location: Vienna, Austria; Bonn, Germany; or Beijing, China
📆 Duration: 6 months
🗓️ Deadline to apply: Sunday, 26 Oct 2025
👩🏽‍🎓 Eligibility: Final-year Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. students or recent graduates

🔗 Learn more & apply: https://shorturl.at/Hm49E

14/10/2025

🚀 From classroom to CubeSat: future space engineers took their learning to orbit-level during the on-site KiboCUBE Academy workshop in Sydney!

The workshop was held right after 76th International Astronautical Conference ( ) and delivered in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA(宇宙航空研究開発機構) ), with support from the University Space Engineering Consortium (Unisec | 大学宇宙工学コンソーシアム) and UNSW Sydney.

🛰️ Participants assembled a 1U-size satellite using a CubeSat training kit (HEPTA-sat) while learning the basic subsystems that make up a satellite. Using the camera included in the satellite kit, they practiced sending commands to take photos from a PC acting as a ground station, and then received the images back. This hands-on experience gave participants a practical foundation in satellite engineering and mission operations.

🎓 Couldn’t attend in person? KiboCUBE Academy offers 27 free lectures on CubeSat design, manufacturing, testing and operations: https://shorturl.at/G4nGz

🚨 Plus, applications for the 9th round of the KiboCUBE programme are now open! Selected teams will have the unique opportunity to deploy a CubeSat from the International Space Station (ISS)!
🗓️ Deadline: 31 December 2025
🔗 Learn more and apply: https://shorturl.at/3FtTq

We highly encourage you to apply for the KiboCUBE programme making use of the knowledge gained through KiboCUBE Academy. 🌍🛰️

Group 📷: ©UNISEC

13/10/2025

On this International Day for Disaster Reduction, we spotlight a rapidly evolving frontier: AI in space.

Satellite technology is already essential for emergency preparedness and disaster response— from early warning systems to real-time monitoring and climate resilience. Now, these systems are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence.

In her latest op-ed, “Guarding the Final Frontier: Why AI Governance in Space Cannot Wait”, UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini makes the case that as AI becomes more deeply embedded in space systems, we need governance frameworks that match the speed, scale, and complexity of the technology.
Read it here: https://shorturl.at/pPB98

AI is transforming disaster risk reduction by:
✅ Enhancing satellite-based monitoring and forecasting
✅ Automating detection of hazards (floods, storms, landslides)
✅ Supporting fast, data-driven decisions for emergency responders

But these advances come with urgent questions about liability, transparency, and data bias. Without responsible governance, space-based AI could worsen inequities instead of helping improve them.

On a day dedicated to reducing disaster risk, we must emphasize that space-based AI is not just a technical issue: it’s a question of equity, accountability, and global resilience.

Let’s ensure that as we scale AI systems in space, they reinforce our ability to protect lives, rather than deepen divides.
Read the full op‑ed here: https://shorturl.at/pPB98

You can also explore our Policy Brief, “Ensuring Responsible AI in Space and Earth Observation,” for concrete recommendations: https://shorturl.at/ojfL2

13/10/2025

📣🌌🇺🇳 In 1999, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) was established by UNISPACE III. A quarter of a century later, UNOOSA is proud to launch the “Intergenerational Dialogue on Space” (IGD), in partnership with SGAC.

Launched at the Space Generation Congress in Sydney, the IGD will be a megaphone to the mouths of young people on key issues affecting the space sector and global space governance.

What will the IGD entail?

1️⃣🤝 Greater synergies between SGAC & COPUOS working groups.

2️⃣👥 Frequent thematic briefings and joint events involving international experts & youth representatives.

3️⃣🇹🇷 An “Antalya Declaration” at the Space Generation Congress and IAC in Atalya in 2026.

🇺🇳 Director Aarti Holla-Maini said: “This is a special moment, not just for the Space Generation Advisory Council, but for the global space community. Critical intergenerational topics are on the table - from lunar cooperation and space sustainability to debris removal, space resources, and space traffic management & space solutions for global challenges, such as poverty, food security & climate change. These are not just technical issues; they are foundational challenges that will directly affect your future.”

🌌 said:“We are at a critical moment on the road to becoming a spacefaring civilisation. Managing our first steps into the cosmos presents a rare opportunity – perhaps more valuable even than the knowledge we gain or the resources we discover. The challenge is truly global – no single country or even continent can manage space alone. It is a shared resource, a shared responsibility not by choice but by necessity. And therefore, the challenge of space may force us to see the Earth as it really is – a small, fragile but unfathomably valuable spacecraft on which we all rely, & for which we are all, collectively responsible.”

💫 Nikol Koleva, Executive Director of SGAC, said: “Leveraging key COPUOS workstreams on space sustainability, space traffic, lunar activities, space resources and space solutions for global challenges, the IGD will formalise a series of briefings & policy papers to prepare formal inputs to COPUOS & a possible UNISPACE IV.

10/10/2025

From 7–9 October, UNOOSA and 🇸🇬Office for Space Technology & Industry, Singapore (OSTIn) co-organized a Space Law Technical Advisory Mission in Singapore under our Global Space Law Project 🌠.

This tailor-made mission supported Singapore’s ongoing efforts to develop its national space legislation, ensuring that future space activities are conducted safely, sustainably, and in full alignment with international space law ⚖️🚀.

Over three days, experts and participants explored:
🔹 Core principles of international space law and UN treaties
🔹 National frameworks for authorization, licensing & supervision
🔹 Liability, insurance, and registration mechanisms
🔹 Space data governance, safety, and sustainability (SDM & LTS Guidelines)
🔹 A hands-on scenario-based exercise applying these concepts in practice

The mission brought together representatives from government, academia, and industry, including OSTIn, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, National University of Singapore, ST Engineering, Singtel, and Kacific Broadband Satellites Group, alongside international experts from Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The discussions reaffirmed Singapore’s strong commitment to responsible and transparent space activities, already reflected in its Guidelines for Singapore-related Space Activities (2024), and its aspiration to establish a predictable, future-ready legal framework for its growing commercial space ecosystem 🛰️📜.

We thank OSTIn and all experts and participants for their valuable engagement and insights. Together, we continue to advance the rule of law in outer space, fostering global cooperation and supporting emerging space actors as they chart their legal pathways to the stars 💫

Learn more about our Global Space Law Project: https://lnkd.in/gX_CPwga

07/10/2025

Space is getting more crowded. That means international coordination is more urgent than ever.

This , we’re highlighting what the UN is doing to keep space safe for future generations.

Through the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), and as mandated by the Pact for the Future, UNOOSA is leading global work on space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic coordination.

The new COPUOS Expert Group on SSA unites governments, industry, researchers and emerging space nations to shape the norms that will keep space sustainable for all. 🌎✨

🎥 Experts from around the world share why this matters for every country that depends on satellites for communication, navigation and sustainable development.

Learn more about the Expert Group: https://lnkd.in/edaiqX4P

🙏 A heartfelt thank you to all who shared their insights — your collaboration helps build a safer, more sustainable space for everyone.

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

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