Message from the 35th General Chairperson

The International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS) has been playing an important role as Japan’s largest international symposium on space. It provides a place for engineers, researchers, established companies, startup companies, and contributors to various outreach activities in space-related fields to get together, present their latest results, and exchange opinions for the future. We will celebrate our 35th symposium in Tokushima City, 66 years after the 1st ISTS in 1959. Over this period, the number of papers presented at the symposium has increased by a factor of 10, from around 60 at the 1st ISTS to more than 700 at the latest edition. ISTS keeps expanding concurrently with the amazing growth of space technology and science all over the world, as well as in Japan. This fact tells us the importance of continuous effort, in developing the field of space technology and science.

The 35th ISTS will be held in July 2025 in Tokushima City. At that time, EXPO 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan will be underway in Osaka City across the Seto Inland Sea. Under the slogan “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” EXPO 2025 will be held as a platform for people from all over the world to recognize problems to overcome and share ideas on the solutions, and to co-create this future society by harnessing cutting-edge technologies for resolving global issues. Our ISTS has been pursuing the same concepts in the field of space technology and science from the beginning, and will do so continuously into the future.

Space has been a place for scientific exploration as well as one for activities that expand new possibilities for humanity. When we intend to do something in space, first of all we have to get there. Deeply re-recognizing this essential fact, at the 35th ISTS we will emphasize the importance of space transportation and mobility in space. EXPO 2025 has drawn people’s attention to new types of mobility in the sky, for example flying cars. At our ISTS, we will pursue the expanding possibilities of mobility in space. Needless to say, mobility is the basis of all human activities in space. On this foundation, let’s build up our knowledge on recent advances in space technologies, new scientific findings, and amazing results of space explorations!

Newcomers such as startup companies are strongly expected to play an important role in making a breakthrough in the frontiers of space technology and science, through collaboration with established experts. As a chairperson of the 35th ISTS organizing committee, we guarantee that we will make ISTS a comfortable and memorable place for all people who are interested in space technology and science, to meet together across different fields, places, genders and generations. We wish ISTS will work as a reaction chamber, as a starting point for new initiatives in space, with future generations remembering that “It began in Tokushima at the 35th ISTS”.

Finally, we would like to emphasize our deepest gratitude to the sponsoring organizations and to all those involved, and ask for your continued support and cooperation to make this event an incomparably fruitful one.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the 35th ISTS.

Professor Kojiro SUZUKI, The University of Tokyo

Chairperson of the 35th ISTS Organizing Committee