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

07/11/2025

💫 COP30 started yesterday. Here’s a reminder of how we can use space & AI to predict the future of our planet and act before disasters strike.

That’s the promise of digital twins: 3D, space- and AI-powered models that help decision-makers run simulations and visualise the impacts of climate change – from understanding which streets will be impacted first from rising sea-levels or flash flooding; support evidenced-based decision-making; and empower first-responders.

With the beginning of COP30 yesterday in Belém, Brazil, we’re reminded that tackling the climate crisis demands innovation and collaboration both in Earth and space. 26 of the 55 Essential Climate Variables - ECVs are key physical, chemical, and biological parameters that critically define Earth's climate – can only be monitored using space.

🚀 Explore how and our partners Space Data Inc are using space technology to drive climate action through our digital twins of Tonga, Ghana, and Tobago.

🎥 See the videos:
Digital twin Tobago: https://youtu.be/Z8jOIwbD620?si=zBc6y7ztQgsfORBw
Digital twin Accra, Ghana: https://youtu.be/q-1KDfeM3WA?si=IqexfQoIVid4pQFU
Digital twin Tonga: https://youtu.be/7Bl2FcJ-iyc?si=4PrOriQLaGGe1eu5

Stay tuned for more updates on and the work of UNOOSA and UN-SPIDER

07/11/2025

🚀 Want to learn how to develop a satellite? Applications are still OPEN for the 2026 UN/Japan Long-term Programme on Nano-Satellite Technologies (PNST)! Deadline to apply is 30 November 2025.

This fully funded opportunity offers students from developing countries and non-space-faring nations the chance to:
✅ Earn a Master’s (2 years) or PhD (3 years) in nano-satellite technologies at Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan
✅ Gain hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing nano-satellite systems
✅ Join a vibrant global community of space professionals advancing their countries’ space ecosystems�
✅ Receive full support: tuition, travel, and a monthly stipend funded by the Government of Japan! 🇯🇵

Learn more and apply here 👉 https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/access2space4all/PNST/PNST_Rounds.html

06/11/2025

🇨🇳🚀👨‍🚀 This week, three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-20 mission were stranded in orbit after their return capsule was reportedly struck by a small piece of debris, which forced an emergency postponement of their return to Earth. Incidents like this highlight how orbital congestion is no longer a distant concern but an immediate threat to human life and the sustainability of outer space operations.

🇺🇳 COPUOS addresses these challenges through the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTS Guidelines). These instruments provide international frameworks for preventing the creation of new debris and reducing risks from existing objects. The next frontier is national implementation, making sure they become concrete, domestic policies, regulations, and operational practices.

However, only about 40,000 space objects are large enough to be tracked, despite estimates suggesting as many as 130 million pieces of debris.

♻️ Just like with our climate, the problem is not going to go away by itself. This is why we are working with countries at the forefront of new technologies for active debris removal (ADR), mapping the complex legal, technical, and economic challenges involved with developing national and international guidelines to support the market for cleaning up our orbital environment.

We urge States, operators, and industry to take urgent action to:

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

2️⃣ Strengthen regulatory frameworks and implement the Space Debris Mitigation and LTS Guidelines.

3️⃣ Raise awareness among policymakers, operators, and the public that what happens in orbit can have consequences at 36,000 feet and below.

4️⃣ Start considering technologies, policies, and strategies for ADR. Space debris is a shared, growing risk that demands joint responsibility and immediate action.

05/11/2025

🛰️ COP30 kicks off tomorrow in Belém, Brazil 🇧🇷, and we want you to share your expertise in transforming Earth observation data into practical, operational tools. Space Climate Observatory’s Call for Projects closes on 16 November, so don’t miss out. Here’s how to submit your projects...

The Space for Climate Observatory (SCO) is looking for innovative solutions to tackle climate change using Earth observation data.

🌱 Objective: Turn satellite data into practical tools for local authorities and decision-makers.

Your project should:
✅ Address real needs of authorities & decision-makers
✅ Use satellite data (Copernicus & private sources)
✅ Build strong, multidisciplinary partnerships
✅ Be scalable & reproducible

🔑 Topics: Agriculture, health, extreme weather, land use, biodiversity, water, energy, GHG, carbon sequestration, disasters

💡 Why apply?
Gain SCO’s international label, tailored support, visibility, and join a network of 400+ global partners

📅 Timeline:
• Call opens: 1 September (France) / 8 September (International)
• Closes: 16 November 2025
• Selected projects announced: March (France) / May (International)

🔗 Apply now via link in bio.

📩 sco_secretariat@cnes.fr

05/11/2025

🛰️ COP30 kicks off tomorrow in Belém, Brazil 🇧🇷, and we want you to share your expertise in transforming Earth observation data into practical, operational tools. Space Climate Observatory’s Call for Projects closes on 16 November, so don’t miss out. Here's how to submit your projects...

🌍 WHO: As part of global efforts to leverage space for climate action, the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO) is launching its 2026 call for projects, inviting researchers, companies, public actors, and users to propose innovative solutions to address climate change challenges.

WHAT: Projects must meet four main criteria:
✅ Address a concrete need of local authorities and decision-makers
✅ Integrate satellite data, including Copernicus and private sources
✅ Be supported by strong, multidisciplinary partnerships
✅ Be reproducible and scalable at national and local levels

🔑 Relevant topics include agriculture, health, extreme weather events, land use, biodiversity, water resources, energy, GHG, carbon sequestration, and natural disasters.

💡 WHY apply?
Selected projects will benefit from SCO’s international label, tailored support, increased visibility, and access to a global network of over 400 partner institutions.

📅 WHEN – The timeline is as follows:
Call opens: 1 September (France) / 8 September (International)
Closes: 16 November 2025
Selected projects announced: March (France) / May (International)

🔗 Submit your project here:
International: https://shorturl.at/nNmSF
France 🇫🇷: https://shorturl.at/I6dr7

04/11/2025

🇺🇳🌌🎥 Space - The role of the United Nations Office for Outer Space (UNOOSA) and COPUOS, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space - the closest we get to a movie trailer 🔥

🌍🔗 Check out our YouTube playlist to learn more about how we use space in our daily lives, , digital twins and AI for disaster management, space law, space weather and lunar time zone, and many other fascinating topics at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaOqa4cng0GHCDEL989sqlXTONEpYccaA

03/11/2025

Are we alone in the universe? 🌌Our new 🇺🇳 UN Champion for Space, Professor Brian Cox , reflects on one of humanity’s biggest questions, and explains why exploring space matters for life on Earth.

🚀🌍🎧 Interested in hearing more from Professor Cox? Check-out the United Nations News podcast “Space exploration is not a luxury but essential for life on Earth”, here: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166211

30/10/2025

We’re thrilled to welcome Professor Brian Cox as the 🇺🇳United Nations Champion for Space!🚀🌍

One of the world’s most recognized physicists and science communicators, Professor Cox will spotlight the work of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), the UN body that has shaped global space governance since the start of the space age.

UNOOSA works with countries to unlock the power of space science, policy and technology to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, kick-start their space ecosystems and economies, address climate change, and save lives during disasters.

Together with Professor Cox, we’ll continue inspiring the next generation and championing space as a tool for progress for everyone, everywhere.

👉 Follow us to explore how the UN is shaping the future of space through our work on space sustainability, planetary defence, space law, nuclear power in space, registering satellites, Space4Women, Space4Youth, navigation satellite systems, disaster management, and much more!

🎧 Listen to the UN News podcast, "Space exploration is not a luxury but essential for life on Earth", featuring Professor Brian Cox here: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166211

29/10/2025

☄️🌌 Comet 3I/ATLAS & the role of the International Asteroid Warning Network and the UN! While posing no threat to Earth, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS offers a fantastic opportunity for the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) community to conduct an observing exercise. Its prolonged observability and scientific interest make it an ideal target!

🌌 What is Comet 3I? The name comes from “i” for interstellar, “3” as the third such object detected, and Atlas for the network of telescopes that identified it, called the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System. While some have speculated about an alien incursion, scientists say 3I/Atlas is an interstellar comet. The space object is travelling at more than 200,000km/h, and it’s going cruise through the inner solar system – in between Mars and Earth’s orbit – and then it will fly past the sun.

🇺🇳 The Role of the UN - Coordinated by NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), IAWN is a global network of observatories established in 2013 by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, alongside the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG). UNOOSA works with both IAWN and SMPAG in coordinating global efforts to share information and plans on how to respond to any potential hazardous asteroids and comets.

🎥 See our YouTube explainer here: https://youtu.be/sw9mUqYeHgY?si=-mP2sNC2rv-HdF6Q

☄️Earlier this year (see our post: https://shorturl.at/txSgm), IAWN informed UNOOSA about asteroid “2024 YR4”, marking the first real instance in which an asteroid met the official notification criteria for UNOOSA to inform UN Member States under established international protocols. While subsequent observations confirmed that asteroid “2024 YR4” no longer poses any threat to Earth, this case successfully tested the communication and coordination mechanisms between IAWN, UNOOSA, and Member States for potential impact-risk scenarios.

🔭 The 3I/ATLAS campaign marks the 8th IAWN observing campaign. The exercise is designed for IAWN astronomers to refine techniques for determining comet positions — a complex task, as comets appear as diffuse, extended objects rather than the point-like asteroids typically observed in telescope images.

👉 More information on the campaign at: https://iawn.net/obscamp/3I_ATLAS/

28/10/2025

🌌♻️ COPUOS & UNOOSA’s leadership on were centre stage at the Space Sustainability Summit in Paris. Director Aarti Holla-Maini joined Dr Peter Martinez for a fireside chat on the next steps for global space sustainability. The Director noted the call to action by the Pact for the Future, agreed by Heads of State at the UN General Assembly in 2024, which specifically called on COPUOS to address space traffic, space resources, & space debris.

But what does this look like in practice?

1️⃣ COPUOS & UNOOSA are leading international efforts to negotiate & implement the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines & the Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities ( ).

2️⃣ UNOOSA is strengthening transparency through the UN Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space & will be creating new tools to improve the current registration rate of 92.5%.

3️⃣ COPUOS is advancing coordination & information-sharing through the Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness, proposed by UAE & endorsed by COPUOS this July: https://www.unoosa.org/res/oosadoc/data/documents/2025/aac_1052025crp/aac_1052025crp_27rev_4_0_html

4️⃣ States are laying the groundwork for a possible UNISPACE IV (2027) – the next, major global milestone for space diplomacy.

5️⃣ Encouraging countries like Japan to galvanise more States around international guidelines for on-orbit servicing.

6️⃣ Working with on launch hazard zone protocols.

But that’s not all. 7️⃣ We need your solutions for the future of sustainable space operations. Submit your contributions to the LTS Information Repository, a platform & database for practices on space sustainability here: https://lts.unoosa.org/unoosa_lts/index.html

📆⚖️ REGISTER (by 5 Nov) for the UNOOSA Space Law Conference: Operationalising Space Sustainability (19-20 November) here: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/2025-un-conference-on-space-law-&-policy.html

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

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

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