Celebrating Satellites with World Space Week

From global navigation to exploring the furthest reaches of the universe, thousands of satellites orbit our planet, helped on their journey by ISO standards.

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With uses that include GPS and meteorology, mapping and scientific research, satellites play an important role in how we collect and transmit information around the world. More people benefit from satellites in their daily lives than at any other time, with technology and competition driving down the cost of putting satellites into orbit.

The group of ISO experts responsible for space systems and operations,[1] have published a catalogue of more than 170 standards that relate to all aspects of space. With a number already covering satellite technology, from an International Standard for miniaturized cube satellites that are accelerating space exploration, to this year's publication of ISO 21980Space systems – Evaluation of radiation effects on Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) parts for use on low-orbit satellite.

World Space Week is a UN declared celebration of space held annually, every October 4 to 10. It is the largest space event on Earth, with over 8,000 events reported in 2019 and held in 96 countries. These events are organized by thousands of organizations, including space agencies, aerospace companies, astronomy clubs and museums. In 2020, World Space Week is dedicated to satellites and their broad benefits under the theme: Satellites improve life.

We're excited about this year's World Space Week and our program of more than 50 new ISO standards currently being developed in this area.

Find out more about the creative, innovative and popular events organized by World Space Week participants to bring people together safely to celebrate space.


[1]ISO/TC 20/SC 14, space systems and operations, is a subcommittee of ISO/TC 20, the technical committee for aircraft and space vehicles, which is managed by ANSI, the ISO member for the USA.

Barnaby Lewis
Barnaby Lewis

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