Ibadan, 11 June 2024. – The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) has announced its partnership with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA, designating the LASP Small/CubeSat group as a “COSPAR Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies”.
LASP has a track record in space science research, having deployed scientific instruments to every planet in the solar system, the Sun and numerous moons. In particular, LASP has been at the forefront of CubeSat missions, consistently achieving success in gathering scientific data. With seven completed CubeSat missions and nine more in active development or orbit, LASP has demonstrated expertise in this field. Furthermore, LASP’s leadership in the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE) has consolidated its status as a key player in space science education.
Likewise, the establishment of the Center of Excellence aligns with COSPAR’s recent efforts in small satellites, through its dedicated Panel on Capacity Building (PCB), specifically targeting institutes and universities in developing countries to engage in CubeSat technology development. As a result, the first joint PCB-LASP Small Sat summer school of this initiative will hold this year at LASP, with five COSPAR-sponsored interns from the National University of Engineering in Lima, Peru. The students will work on the COSPAR satellites to provide space weather data as part of the COSPAR Task Group for establishing a Constellation of Small Satellites (TGCSS).
Speaking on the partnership with LASP, COSPAR President, Professor Pascale Ehrenfreund, said, “Through this pioneering partnership with LASP, COSPAR reaffirms its dedication to advancing global collaboration in space science. The establishment of our inaugural Center of Excellence for CubeSat Technologies represents a significant stride towards making space exploration accessible to all and empowering the next generation of space scientists and engineers.”
