United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Bringing the benefits of space to humanity. www.unoos

🌍🚰This (23-27 August), we want to give a shout-out to a lesser-known ally of water: space! 🛰️ Water enables life on Ea...
24/08/2026

🌍🚰This (23-27 August), we want to give a shout-out to a lesser-known ally of water: space! 🛰️ Water enables life on Earth: it sustains people, ecosystems and livelihoods, generating clean energy and shaping our landscape. But water challenges like desertification, flooding, and coastal erosion can have devastating consequences, leading to displacement of people, conflicts, crop failure, and impact on livelihoods.

🌊 Space can help us preserve this precious resource. Satellite data lets us monitor water resources, detect changes, and anticipate droughts before they hit, helping communities prepare, respond, and adapt.

🇺🇳 At UNOOSA, we have four areas of work addressing water-related challenges:

1️⃣ Space4Water connects countries, experts and space-based solutions, bringing together satellite missions, tools, success stories and training resources, with a strong focus on developing countries.
🔗 https://www.space4water.org

2️⃣ UN-SPIDER helps countries access satellite data to support action before, during and after water-related disasters.
🔗 https://www.un-spider.org

3️⃣ The Space4Ocean Alliance, launched at the third UN Ocean Conference in 2025, brings together 32 space-related entities to leverage space-based solutions that address marine challenges. UNOOSA is a founding member and serves as Secretariat.
🔗 https://shorturl.at/VF129

4️⃣ Digital twins coordinated by our office combine high-resolution satellite imagery and elevation models to create interactive 3D representations of islands and cities, helping decision-makers simulate complex flood dynamics. See an example from Tonga:
🔗 https://shorturl.at/6LYKo

🌌 And did you know? “Space spin-offs”, technologies developed for use in space, can find applications back on Earth, including advanced water filtration and more efficient water management.


Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

🌚🇺🇳 SAVE THE DATE - The 2026 United Nations Conference on Lunar Activities will take place in the Vienna International C...
18/08/2026

🌚🇺🇳 SAVE THE DATE - The 2026 United Nations Conference on Lunar Activities will take place in the Vienna International Centre on 9-11 December 2026.

Organised by UNOOSA, under the “One Moon for All” project, the conference will bring together policymakers, experts, industry representatives, academia and civil society to discuss the future of international cooperation in lunar activities.

During the event, participants will engage in open discussions on key developments and priorities in lunar governance, and explore ideas for the possible mandate and structure of a potential international lunar mechanism.
The Conference will build upon and feed into key work streams of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), including:
🌘 The Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation (ATLAC)
🌗 The Working Group on the Legal Aspects of Space Resources
🌖 The Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Space

Programme Overview:
🗓 9 December: Closed pre-conference event (For nominated representatives of COPUOS Member States)
🗓 10–11 December: Public Conference (Open to industry, academia, NGOs, all UN Member States, and the general public)

For in-person participation in the public sessions of the Conference
Deadline: 30 September 2026, 6 pm CEST
Link: https://shorturl.at/hqIk6
For online participation in the public sessions of the Conference to view the proceedings
Deadline: 25 November 2026, 6 pm CET
Link: https://shorturl.at/37KfK

🌑🌞 Today, Earth is being treated to a special show. A total solar eclipse will happen as the Moon passes between Earth a...
12/08/2026

🌑🌞 Today, Earth is being treated to a special show. A total solar eclipse will happen as the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, creating a spectacular celestial show along a path stretching from the Arctic through Greenland and Iceland to the Iberian Peninsula. A partial eclipse will also be visible across much of Canada and Europe, as well as parts of North and West Africa.

While not everyone will be experiencing a “total eclipse of the heart” today, here at UNOOSA we love every form our shared sky takes. 🌍✨

📸 And we want to see the eclipse through your eyes! Wherever in the world you are, share your photos of:

🌒 eclipse watch parties
🕶️ your eclipse glasses
📦 homemade pinhole cameras
🌅 the sky before and after the eclipse

👀 Remember: never look directly at the Sun without appropriate eye protection, and don’t take photos of the eclipse without the correct solar filter for your device.

Tag us using for a chance to be featured as we celebrate the Sun, the Moon and our shared sky.

It’s International Youth Day and we want all young space explorers to get their pens, pencils and crayons out and enter ...
12/08/2026

It’s International Youth Day and we want all young space explorers to get their pens, pencils and crayons out and enter UNOOSA’s art contest! 🚀🌎
Participate by:
1️⃣ Downloading and reading the Tala and Her Journey through Space e-book for free in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish through the link: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/space4youth/tala_and_her_journey_through_space/index.html
2️⃣ Create Your Artwork: Read the book and draw, paint, or sketch your spaceship, satellite, satellites, and Moonbase! Include your name and age in the design.
3️⃣ Submit Your Design by Monday 31 August 2026:
📧 Email your submission to: oosa[@]un.org or post it online using the tag
🔭 Tell us what inspires you most about space in no more than 100 words!

🎁 The Prize:
The creators of our top 20 favourite designs will receive a physical copy of the Tala and Her Journey through Space book delivered right to their doorstep!

🇬🇭🇳🇬🇺🇳 Pioneering 3D digital twins and disaster preparedness in West Africa through : UNOOSA and UN-SPIDER just kicked-...
10/08/2026

🇬🇭🇳🇬🇺🇳 Pioneering 3D digital twins and disaster preparedness in West Africa through : UNOOSA and UN-SPIDER just kicked-off a major space-based resilience initiative across Ghana and Nigeria.

Why Digital Twins Matter for Disaster Resilience

By integrating high-resolution satellite imagery and elevation models into interactive 3D digital twins, decision-makers can simulate complex flood dynamics. This is how:

1️⃣ Predictive Risk Assessment: Maps how floodwaters rise and expand across urban landscapes like Accra and Lagos, allowing authorities to protect critical infrastructure.

2️⃣ Optimised Emergency Response: Identifies viable evacuation routes, safe zones, and vulnerable communities in real time.

3️⃣Inter-Agency Alignment: Unifies meteorological, hydrological, and disaster management data into a single, actionable platform.

See our digital twin of Accra, Ghana’s capital, from 2025 to learn more about what digital twins can do to address flash flooding and coastal erosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-1KDfeM3WA

Hosted by the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) in Ghana and the National Space Research and Development Agency () in Nigeria, thanks to the generous support of the government of Japan, the project kick-off missions brought together key regional bodies to align priorities, establish multi-stakeholder support, and secure critical data-sharing cooperation with JICA’s SATREPS / ISEMAC-G coastal management project.

🇲🇿🇺🇳🌍 Catastrophic regional flooding in Mozambique in early 2026 caused $600m in infrastructure damage and affected 850,...
07/08/2026

🇲🇿🇺🇳🌍 Catastrophic regional flooding in Mozambique in early 2026 caused $600m in infrastructure damage and affected 850,000 people. This is why UN Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) just supported the first Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) Regional Cyclone and Flood Response Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) in Mozambique, which brought together more than 140 participants from governments, humanitarian organisations, United Nations agencies and technical partners to test regional preparedness and response during a simulated major cyclon.

Held in cooperation with Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (.Moz), together with the SADC Disaster Risk Reduction Unit and the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), the exercise tested the full disaster management cycle: From early warning and anticipatory action to emergency coordination, deployment of the SADC Emergency Response Team (ERT), rapid assessments and response planning.

Through our UN-SPIDER programme, UNOOSA demonstrated how space-based information supports early warning and emergency decision-making. We demonstrated our added-value by:

- Facilitating a simulated activation of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters, linking national and UN coordination channels with an international emergency satellite mechanism.

- Translating operational needs into satellite analysis and Earth observation products to support emergency coordination and information management.

- Strengthening participants' understanding of product interpretation and the importance of field verification.

- Closely coordinating with the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), DG ECHO, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), MapAction and iMMAP.

The SIMEX marked the culmination of four years of collaboration under the Disaster Risk Management Strengthening in the Southern African Development Community (DRMSS) project, supported by SADC Member States, the European Union, United Nations OCHA, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and UN-HABITAT.

For more information on the simulation exercise, check out UN-SPIDER’s coverage on their LinkedIn channel.

For more information on how UN-SPIDER's work assists other nations, and how you can leverage our Regional Support Offices in your own country or region, see our Knowledge Platform here: https://www.un-spider.org

⬆️What goes up occasionally comes back down. But when a space object lands in another country, States have rules, rights...
04/08/2026

⬆️What goes up occasionally comes back down. But when a space object lands in another country, States have rules, rights and international mechanisms through which to act.

🌌The international space treaties were negotiated more than half a century ago but they are coming to life in a new space age.

📝Four UN space treaties negotiated between 1967 and 1975 are directly relevant: the Outer Space Treaty, the Rescue and Return Agreement, the Liability Convention and the Registration Convention. Together, they address jurisdiction and return, identification and registration, communication between States and liability for damage caused by space objects.

UNOOSA discharges the relevant functions entrusted to the Secretary-General under these treaties. UNOOSA maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space and stands ready to assist any Member State dealing with the re-entry or recovery of a space object.

In the event re-entry, UNOOSA can:
• support efforts to identify a recovered object and determine its State of registry or possible launching State;
• facilitate communication between the affected State and the relevant State or States;
• explain the applicable international legal framework, including the procedures established under the Rescue and Return Agreement and the Liability Convention; and
• receive and disseminate official notifications submitted under the United Nations space treaties, especially Article V of the Rescue and Return Agreement.
The treaty framework is complemented by the UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines and the 21 Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. These voluntary guidelines encourage States to strengthen registration, exchange information, improve orbital data and address risks associated with uncontrolled re-entry.

📖Read our explainer “When the Sky Falls” for more information:
📷Photo Credit: Kenya Space Agency

🌕 A spent rocket stage is expected to crash on the lunar surface on 5 August, years after completing the mission for whi...
03/08/2026

🌕 A spent rocket stage is expected to crash on the lunar surface on 5 August, years after completing the mission for which it was launched. Events like this raise legal and policy questions, especially as 100+ payloads are expected to visit the lunar surface over the 15 years.

📝Are incidents like this legal?
It depends! This particular crash is expected to take place on an area of the Moon with no ongoing activity. The expected crater is also not being targeted for future missions nor is it marked for any special scientific value.

Incidents like these are directly relevant to Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty, which requires States to act with due regard to the corresponding interests of others, avoid harmful contamination and, where an activity may cause potentially harmful interference to the activities of others, undertake international consultations. And more OST provisions can be triggered depending on the specific circumstances.

🌒What is the UN doing to address these issues?
Through COPUOS’ Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation, ATLAC, States have just begun discussing the need for an international mechanism for sharing and exchanging information on lunar activities and consulting about them, including on questions relating to debris, disposal and the avoidance of interference.
As more actors head to the Moon, the ability to address these issues at the multilateral level will be central to maintaining a peaceful, safe, and sustainable lunar environment. This must start with mission design and continue until every mission component has reached its destination: lunar sustainability must cover the entire mission life cycle.

Curious about what the UN does, and what an international lunar mechanism could look like? Mark your calendars for December 10-11, where we will host the third UN Conference on Lunar Activities!

For more info on the work of the COPUOS, see our International Moon Day post from 20 July: https://lnkd.in/enX3cq7E

What if your code could guide a free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station? 🚀 An Access to Space for All p...
31/07/2026

What if your code could guide a free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station? 🚀 An Access to Space for All partnership between UNOOSA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) makes it possible!

The 7th Round of the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC) is now open. It gives students the chance to develop programming and robotics skills while solving an exciting space-based mission.

Choose the course that suits you:
🤖 Regular Course: Compete for a place in the ISS final, where the winning team will see their code put to the test aboard the International Space Station.

🌟 Beginner Course – Designed for students under 16, this simulator-only course offers an accessible introduction to robotics programming.

✅ Eligible participants may enter both courses if they meet the requirements.

The UNOOSA international slot is open to eligible students from developing economies and economies in transition that are not participating Kibo-RPC countries or regions. Teams must have 3–6 members, including at least three students.

⚠️ Registration is limited to 50 teams and closes on 30 September 2026 at 16:59 CEST.

Form your team, check your eligibility and apply through the official opportunity page.

Please share this opportunity with a school, university or youth STEM network you know!

🔗 Find a video of the guidance session here: https://jaxa.krpc.jp/

🔗 More info: https://lnkd.in/dhnSy4MD

🚀Save the date! Join us on 21 September at the Vienna International Centre for the Symposium, marking the Internationa...
30/07/2026

🚀Save the date! Join us on 21 September at the Vienna International Centre for the Symposium, marking the International Day of Peace.🕊️

✨The event will celebrate how space technologies, data and services help build a more peaceful, safer world while supporting resilience and sustainable development.

"From the vastness of space, humanity sees more clearly its shared destiny of peace."
– Pope John Paul II, Address to the UN, 1982

🌍 Satellites support everyday life in ways many people don't see. They help us monitor climate change, respond to disasters, improve food security, connect communities and navigate safely. International cooperation is essential to ensuring that outer space is used for these peaceful purposes.

🤝 Co-organized with the Permanent Mission of the The Holy See to the International Organizations in Vienna and co-sponsored by the Foundation Caritas in Veritate, the Symposium will be an opportunity to reflect on responsible behaviour and multilateral governance in outer space, in line with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the mandates of UNOOSA and the UN's Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

📅 More details on the programme and speakers to follow. Stay tuned!

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Vienna International Centre, P. O. Box 500
Wien
1400

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+431260604950

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