The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) will host the National Space Science Symposium (NSSS), which commences on Tuesday. The three-day event, considered the most significant national event in space sciences, is to be inaugurated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Dr. K. Sivan and former chairman Dr. K. Kasturirangan.

The objective of the symposium is to discuss the future direction of space sciences and facilitate an interaction among top scientists in the field. The symposium will be held under the aegis of the ISRO and will be co-hosted by the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) – both institutes situated on the SPPU premises.

“The event, which takes place once in every two-three years, touches upon every major topic in the realm of space sciences. The last NSSS was hosted at the ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthpuram in February 2016,” P. Pradeep Kumar, head of atmosphere and space science department, SPPU, said.

He said the symposium will have presentations in interdisciplinary areas like astrobiology, modeling of the atmosphere, laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory, and the square kilometre array project.

The special plenary sessions will see around 180 presentations which will touch upon topics like future space science missions, capacity building in space science, and new frontiers in atmospheric science.

“Almost a third of the participants come from the ISRO. They will be joined by speakers from laboratories like Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory, Andhra Pradesh-based National Atmospheric Research Lab, and the IUCAA and the NCRA in Pune among others,” Mr. Kumar said.

The SPPU is the only university in the country to host this event a second time. The NSSS was first held here in December 1983.