On 13th October 2022, senior managers from 17 Space Agencies met in person and virtually for a meeting of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG).
Hosted by the Canadian Space Agency, headquartered in Montréal, the purpose was to foster and build upon coordinated efforts in space exploration of the Moon and Mars, consistent with the Global Exploration Strategy and Roadmap.
A major element of the meeting was to reflect upon the diverse outputs of ISECG and the contributions made by its participating Agencies to identify technology gaps, exploration architectures, and forward planning. A key output was the affirmation of the benefits and value of international cooperation and coordination to assist each agency’s goals.
The Space Agencies agreed to reach out to new and emerging space countries, to increase collaboration, coordination and space exploration efforts. Senior Agency Managers welcomed the release of the 2022 Global Exploration Roadmap supplement – Lunar Surface Exploration Scenario Update. Senior Agency Managers took the opportunity to reflect upon the 15th Anniversary of ISECG (video) and the contributions that its decade and a half of tenure has made to the global space exploration effort. Noting ISECG’s value to Agencies, it was agreed to extend the tenure of ISECG to 31 December 2030.
Fostering diversity of the forum and extending support, further broadens the opportunities for coordination and offers new ways of working together to extend the reach of humans into space.
This meeting included representatives from the Mexican Space Agency (AEM), Australian Space Agency (ASA)/Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Italian Space Agency (ASI), French Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), China National Space Administration (CNSA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), German Aerospace Center (DLR), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), Polish Space Agency (POLSA), Portuguese Space Agency (PTS), and UK Space Agency (UKSA). Senior Agency Managers remarked upon the great interest by established and emerging Space Agencies across the globe in furthering space exploration collaboratively and reflecting upon the inspiration provided by the upcoming lunar and deep space missions as well as the new achievements arising in the science and technology of space exploration activities.