Tickets for The 40th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-40) are now available to purchase.
Taking place at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, Hampshire, UK, from 17 to 21 March 2025, the Symposium is a global summit for world-renowned experts to share crucial, emerging knowledge in pursuit of protecting the planet and its people from harm.
ISRSE-40 Tickets:
Early bird tickets for the five-day event are available from £285 for students (saving £190) of and £760 (saving £235) for industry and academic professionals until 9 January 2025. In the New Year, tickets will increase to £475 for students and £995 for industry and academic professionals.
ADS Group members and SMEs (under 250 employees) tickets are priced at £685. All prices include VAT.
Tickets include:
- 4-day access to the ISRSE-40 conference
- 1-day off-site tours (optional, more details to be announced)
- Entry to workshops and special sessions (by application)
- Breakfast, lunch and tea refreshments each day
- Entry to ISRSE-40 Welcome Reception
- Entry to Farnborough International Space Show (FISS)
- Entry to FISS Welcome Reception
Industry and academic professional – Buy Now
Student tickets – Apply Now
ADS Member – Apply Now
ISRSE-40 is calling for contributions that push boundaries, explore synergies between EO and emerging technologies, and address the pressing challenges of the 21st century.
Submissions of innovative research, case studies, and technological advancements are requested for ISRSE-40, where academia and industry will break new ground by bridging the worlds of academia, industry, private sector, NGOs, and government bodies.
Submit an abstract.
As CEOS celebrates its 40th anniversary at the annual CEOS Plenary in Montreal, the CEOS Community of space and meteorological agencies and other groups has also renewed its collective commitment to CEOS’ mission and efforts in responding to global challenges for the good of humanity, with the agreement of the Montreal Statement.
Satellite Earth observation data can deliver significant public benefits in areas ranging from climate and biodiversity monitoring, disaster management, clean energy and urban planning.
The UK Space Agency’s role as CEOS Chair will be to oversee the activities of CEOS and ensure it is achieving the objectives of its work plan. The UK Space Agency has proposed four priorities to champion data-driven solutions for major global challenges over the 12-month period as Chair, within the theme of ‘Unlocking Earth Observation for Society’:
- Using Earth observation to improve public services.
- Increasing use of space data in the Global Stocktakes of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- Supporting development of Methane emissions measurement best-practices.
- Inspiring the next generation through a new ‘CEOS in Schools’ initiative.
As Chair, an early task will be to represent CEOS on the global stage and promote its goals and objectives, starting at next month’s COP-29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and continuing throughout 2025.
Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: “For 40 years, CEOS has been uniting the global community to champion the transformative potential of satellites and Earth Observation.
I’m proud to be chairing this globally-valued committee and will use the next year to demonstrate how, by working together across borders, we can harness space technology for the benefit of our societies, our shared environment, and our economies.”
Unlocking EO for Public Service:
The UK will create opportunities for CEOS’ agencies to share their national perspectives and explore how to bridge the gap between data and public sector services, including hosting a workshop in September 2025 ahead of the UK’s CEOS Plenary 2025, in Bath, Somerset in November. This supports work to get Earth observation tools and information embedded into UK public sector policies at the national and local scale.
Éric Laliberté, CEOS Chair 2024 on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency said: “We congratulate the UK Space Agency on assuming the chairmanship role and are committed to ensuring that data-driven decisions pave the way for increasingly sustainable practices.
Together, we are advancing the role of satellite Earth observation in creating sustainable solutions for the future of our societies and natural environments.”
Unlocking EO for the Global Stocktake
The Global Stocktake of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a process for evaluating progress on climate action at a global level and identifying gaps. Over the next 12 months, the UK will work closely with Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, and the CEOS working group on Climate to study lessons learned from the previous Global Stocktake. The aim is to refine CEOS strategies to enhance the use of Earth observation data in the next Global stock-take for global climate action.
Professor John Remedios, NCEO Director, said: “The National Centre for Earth Observation is very pleased to see the UK taking on leadership on the world stage. The UK is able to contribute world-leading capability and methods in Earth Observation to the global community.
“Through this role in CEOS, the UK will be able to support the important collaborative efforts that agencies need to achieve to meet the challenges of climate and of resilience with commitment, rigour and Earth intelligence. We are delighted to be supporting the UKSA in its delegation with scientific advice and connectivity to the leading research in environmental science.”
Methane Best-Practices
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a warming potential approximately ~80 times higher than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Reducing methane emissions is the quickest way to mitigate acute climate risks and is crucial for maintaining the 1.5-degree target. At COP26 in Glasgow, 158 countries committed to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
The CEOS Greenhouse Gas Task Team is developing best practices for space-based methane measurements, which are crucial for addressing climate change.
This work, which is co-led by the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is developing a set of agreed accurate, transparent and trusted best practices for reporting Methane emissions at the facility scale. The UK Space Agency will promote the uptake of these best practices on a global scale, focusing on the Global Methane Pledge to unlock the potential of space-based solutions and support the UK’s commitment to reduce methane emissions.
Ally Barker, Vice-chair of the UKspace Trade Association’s EO Committee said: “This is an opportune time for the UK to demonstrate its leadership in Earth observation on the global stage. UK industry looks forward to working closely with the UK Space Agency as it takes on the Chair of CEOS to maximise the societal and economic benefits of EO for the UK and the world.”
CEOS in Schools
The UK Space Agency is set to pilot a CEOS mechanism aimed at inspiring the next generation. This initiative will demonstrate to students, aged 14-16, how satellite Earth Observation is used to address global issues such as climate change, environmental protection, and disaster management, while also allowing those students to experience the power of international collaboration.
The programme will put experts into schools to bring the topics of climate and space to life and then bring students together from across the world for online workshops to discuss the topics with their peers. The programme will culminate in the first CEOS Youth Summit where students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work with senior Earth observation experts, giving young people a voice in CEOS.
Met Office Services Director Simon Brown said: “It’s an exciting time for the UK to take up this prestigious role in CEOS. Earth observations are at the heart of us delivering world leading weather and climate services and we are proud of the observations we get through the collaboration of European member states at EUMETSAT and underpinned by national and ESA Missions.
“Access to Earth observations is changing and I look forward to working closely with UK Space Agency team to grow, influence and be part of the changing space endeavour to advance Earth observations to protect us from weather extremes.”
The 40th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of the Environment (ISRSE-40), taking place 17-21 March 2025, has opened its call for papers.
Titled ‘Synergy in Sight: Harnessing Earth Observation for Sustainable Development’, the world-renowned symposium will explore the synergies between emerging technologies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global partnerships to foster a deeper understanding of Earth-system dynamics and their applications.
We are calling for contributions that push boundaries, explore synergies between EO and emerging technologies, and address the pressing challenges of the 21st century.
Key themes include:
- Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring: EO applications for tracking and mitigating climate change impacts.
- Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (Agroeconomy Focus): How EO can revolutionize global agriculture, enhance food security, and support the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Special attention will be given to smallholder farmers and innovative financial tools such as parametric insurance.
- Resilient Urban and Infrastructure Systems: EO’s role in developing smart cities, monitoring urban growth, and strengthening urban resilience.
- Innovative EO Technologies: AI, machine learning, CubeSats, and other emerging technologies transforming EO data analysis and decision-making.
- Sustainable Land and Marine Resource Management: Innovations in monitoring forests, biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and water resources using EO. –
- Carbon Sequestration and Renewable Energy: EO-enabled carbon accounting for forests, renewable energy projects, and carbon offset programs.
- Interdisciplinary and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration: Case studies and strategies for effective collaboration between academia, industry, NGOs, and government stakeholders.
- EO for adaption and mitigation: Earth observation technology can provide data to aid climate mitigation and adaptation.
We invite you to submit your innovative research, case studies, and technological advancements for ISRSE-40, where we will break new ground by bridging the worlds of academia, industry, private sector, NGOs, and government bodies.
Submissions close Thursday 9 January 2025, midnight GMT.
Submit a paper
Please note: You will be asked to create a login for Oxford Abstracts to submit your abstract.
ISRSE-40 STUDENT SUPPORT PACKAGES AVAILABLE
Student packages to support attending ISRSE-40 will be made available through funding from international space agencies.
The packages will provide an opportunity for the next generation of Earth scientists to attend the symposium, while also promote the importance of Earth observation for understanding and addressing global challenges to the wider space community.
Packages will be provided to those who have been successfully selected for an abstract or poster.
If you are interested in applying for a student support package, please register your interest here, with your submitted abstract title.
Convening upstream & downstream
Taking place in the UK for the first time in its 62-year history, ISRSE-40 will be co-located with the inaugural Farnborough International Space Show (FISS) 2025, which has been designed to pioneer the commercial space age and advance space domain defence.
The convergence of the two events will create the only opportunity for the global space industry to access the whole ecosystem – upstream and downstream – in one place, at the same time, at this scale in the UK.
This milestone will convene global leaders from across academia, industry, government, and non-governmental organizations to explore how EO can drive sustainable development and resilience across multiple sectors.
The UK will host the 40th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-40) at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, Hampshire, from 17 to 21 March 2025. ISRSE-40 will run alongside the inaugural Farnborough International Space Show, an event which will pioneer the commercial space age.
Convened biennially since 1962, the Symposium is a global summit for world-renowned experts to share crucial, emerging knowledge in pursuit of protecting the planet and its people from harm.
The Symposium will host multiple international agencies including NASA and ESA, leading scientists, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners all dedicated to the advancement of remote sensing technologies and the data analysis pivotal to Earth observation capabilities and space applications.
Titled ‘Synergy in Sight: Harnessing Earth Observation for Sustainable Development’, the symposium will emphasise the integration of scientific and technological disciplines through Earth observation to promote sustainability, as well as nurturing the next generation of space professionals in the sector.
Organised by the International Committee for Remote Sensing of Environment (ICORSE), the biennial symposium will run alongside the Farnborough International Space Show 2025 thereby uniting key constituents of the international space community. Collaboration will foster innovation across the fields of remote sensing, Earth observation, and the wider international space ecosystem to drive sector advancements and accelerate new technologies.
A partnership between a consortium of UK-based organisations, including Farnborough International, National Centre for Earth Observation and Space South Central, and ICORSE, the event will foster international collaboration, drive innovation, and address key global challenges including climate change, resource management, and disaster response. Figures from ADS Group indicate significant growth to the UK space industry which directly employs 48,800 people, delivering high value jobs for a highly skilled workforce, and supports 2,300 apprentices across the sector. Turnover growth continues to increase year on year, reaching £17.5 billion in 2022 and adding £7 billion to the UK economy, with space exports valued £5.9 billion to the UK in 2022.
Discussing the announcement, John Latham, President, International Centre for remote Sensing of the Environment, said: “Hosting ISRSE40 offers a pivotal moment for the UK to affirm its leadership in the global space community, driving forward our commitments to innovation, education, and sustainable development. We are poised to deliver a conference that not only addresses today’s challenges but also inspires solutions for the future.”
Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, said: “We are thrilled to be the host venue of this monumental event, alongside the launch of the Farnborough International Space Show. For decades, the UK, and Farnborough in particular, has been a catalyst for pioneering new technologies and forging powerful relationships, so to convene the global space industry on our historic site is an invaluable opportunity to cement the UK’s position at the forefront of the international space market for academia, manufacturing and innovation.”
Steve Volz, from NOAA Federal, added: “NOAA is very impressed with the breadth and depth of the UK proposal to host ISRSE-40 alongside the Farnborough International Space Show next March.
“There is increasing demand across all scales of decision making for critical Earth observations and remote sensing information to help us understand our changing climate, manage our natural resources, and prepare and respond to natural hazards. At the same time, the rapid pace of technological advancement and a growing commercial space sector are changing the way we collect and exploit earth observations. ISRSE-40 will bring together the scientists, applied users, and space industry to advance innovation through enhanced collaboration, helping us all take action for people, the planet and prosperity. NOAA receives important contributions from all of these participants.”
The Farnborough International Space Show is the UK’s largest international event pioneering the commercial space age and advancing space domain defence. The inaugural annual exhibition and conference is a catalyst for the future of international space innovation, connecting the space ecosystem across industry, defence, government and academia on a global scale.
Register your interest in ISRSE-40 here