The Swiss Space Sustainability Research Days [1], held from January 6-8, 2024, in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, marked a pivotal moment for the Swiss space community's commitment to sustainable space activities. This three-day gathering brought together more than 50 experts, including PhD candidates, postdocs, senior researchers, professors, R&D specialists, and industry professionals from all key Swiss research institutions and organizations with significant interests in space sustainability research and development.
The event was strategically designed to address the growing urgency of incorporating sustainability principles into all aspects of space activities. Day one featured compelling keynote presentations and engaging panel discussions that set the foundation for deeper technical exchanges. Days two and three expanded into comprehensive scientific presentations, hands-on workshops, and collaborative poster sessions, creating multiple opportunities for knowledge sharing and networking among participants.
The research discussions encompassed six critical areas that define the current landscape of space sustainability: the environmental impact of space activities on Earth and in space, advances in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA), cutting-edge technologies enabling sustainable space operations, space weather phenomena and their far-reaching implications, initiatives to preserve dark and quiet skies, and the evolving framework of space law and policy.
Beyond academic discourse, this gathering served multiple strategic purposes for Switzerland's space sector. Participants contributed valuable insights for developing Swiss space law, provided essential input for the upcoming ESA Ministerial Conference, explored new Swiss space capacity-building initiatives, and began shaping ideas for establishing a large-scale Swiss consortium dedicated to space sustainability. The overarching vision that guided these discussions was clear: sustainability must transition from being a peripheral consideration to becoming a central priority within Swiss research activities. This report captures the key insights, innovative solutions, and collaborative frameworks that emerged from this landmark event, documenting the collective expertise and forward-thinking approaches that will help define Switzerland's role in promoting sustainable space exploration and utilization for years to come.
Outcomes:
- Poirier et al., ‘Swiss Space Sustainability Research Days 2025 - Book of Abstracts’, Jan. 2025. Accessed: Jul. 01, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/251791
- David, S. Hellmich, and C. Crichton, ‘THE IMPORTANCE OF DARK AND QUIET SKIES IN SWISS ASTRONOMY AND THE DIALOG WITH THE SPACE INDUSTRY’, EPFL, Mar. 2025.
- David et al., ‘SWISS SPACE SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH DAYS 2025: OUTCOMES AND STRATEGIC ROADMAP’, EUCASS, 2025.
The second edition will take place in February 2026. Please stay tuned for more details