European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC)

ESSC 35 anniversary celebrations in 2010

 

In April 1974, a bunch of European planetary scientists and high-energy physicists, plus 3 members of the US Space Science Board met under the auspices of the Royal Society and the chairmanship of Harrie Massey. Dubbed the European Provisional Advisory Committee for Space Research, this group contacted the Founding Board that was in the process of creating the European Science Foundation at the same time, soon after joined that new organisation and creating in the process, first a working group on space research, and then the ESSC in 1975.

  • Donwload the leaflet of the 40th plenary meeting (7-8 July 2010, Frascati) commemorative session
  • Download keynote speeches
    • R.M. Bonnet "Achievements of European space sciences" PDF
    • J.L. Culhane "Role of Europe's space science community and of the ESSC-ESF" PDF
    • M. Moloney PDF
    • S.A Briggs "Earth observation - Five decades of data" PDF
    • J.C. Zarnecki "Europe's trajectory in planetary sciences - from Giotto to ExoMars" PDF
    • G.P.J. Thiele PDF

 

TECHBREAK

This foresight activity takes place within the context of an ESF ‘Forward Look’ that was initiated as a request from ESA. The ESF supports this foresight instrument to develop medium to long-term views and analyses of future research developments with the aim of defining research agendas at national and European level. The next major TECHBREAK (Technology breakthroughs for scientific progress) events will be a series of thematic workshops on Key Enabling Technologies (September 2011), to follow on the launch conference held in Brussels, on 29-30 November 2010. The intended outcomes are to identify technology areas of use to the space sector and the granularity level at which they can be useful.

Planetary Protection

The European Space Agency (ESA) is asking the European Science Foundation (ESF) and its space sciences committee ESSC to define an acceptable risk level for the possibility of introducing a potential Martian life form into the terrestrial biosphere in the context of a Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission (backward contamination).After considering the upcoming technology development and mission study activities for an international MSR mission, the fact that the acceptable risk requirement will drive some of the fail-safe approaches for sample containment, and the current status of the relevant requirement, the Planetary Protection Working Group (PPWG) of ESA recommended in their 12th meeting in April 2010 to request advice from the ESF. This recommendation has been coordinated with the NASA Planetary Protection Officer to avoid duplication of efforts on the part of the US National Research Council Space Studies Board. A framework agreement was thus set up between ESA and ESF and this activity formally started in February 2011.