14 Apr 2017

The Italian initiative at the United Nations stems from the need to ensure that scientific data generated in space should be accessible as much as possible by anyone

International experts gathered at the headquarters of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), in Rome for a two-day meeting (April 11-12, 2017) dedicated to “Open Universe”, an initiative proposed by Italy to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
The goal of Open Universe is to ensure that space science data become more and more accessible and usable to all sectors of society from the professional scientific community, through "citizen scientists", to universities, schools, museums, and ordinary citizens.

The meeting was attended by about 50 experts representing major space agencies, NASA, ESA, JAXA, ASI; international organizations, COSPAR - Committee On Space Research, ESO - European Southern Observatory, IAU - International Astronomical Union, ICRANet - International Relativistic Astrophysics Network, GEO - Group of Earth Observations, OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; and research institutes and universities from different countries.
In the presence of Mr. Enrico Padula of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the meeting was introduced by the president of ASI, Roberto Battiston, and Simonetta Di Pippo, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Participants discussed in detail how to fulfil the initiative’s objectives.

The next step will be a joint UN-Italy workshop, open to the international community, to be held at the UN headquarters in Vienna from 20 to 22 November 2017.
Open Universe is one of several activities in preparation for UNISPACE+50, a major event to be held in June 2018 at the United Nations in Vienna on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first UN conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space. At UNISPACE+50 the international community will meet to define the contributions of space activities to the achievement of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.