This call for papers published by CNES is part of the preparatory work for the next Scientific Foresight Seminar (SPS).
The SPS is organised every 5 years by CNES, and brings together the French space science community. It reviews the scientific progress made since the previous seminar and decides on the main orientations of space research in France for the next 5 years. The next SPS will be held from 8 at 10 October 2024in Saint-Malo.
This call for contributions is entirely open, with no stated priority in terms of scientific themes or hardware or software technical solutions. However, it is imperative that responses highlight the scientific objective as a priority, followed by the associated mission or action (e.g. R&T, phase 0, etc.). Scientific relevance will be a key evaluation criterion. The positioning of the proposals in relation to the European and international context will be essential in order to demonstrate their added value in relation to what already exists. The degree of technical maturity, as well as the size of the proposed missions or experiments, particularly in budgetary terms, are not decisive selection criteria at this stage.
The new contributions may concern new scientific objectives or space experiments that could be developed by 2030 or beyond, or previous proposals that have not been selected and whose scientific or technical maturity has since been confirmed. They may be implemented at national level by CNES, or at European level by ESA, or multilaterally with our international partners. Research proposals involving balloon-borne experiments or experiments using parabolic flights, ESA sounding rockets, automatic capsules, space stations, aircraft or drones in connection with space research are also covered by this call for contributions.
In addition to proposals for new activities within a scientific and technical framework, responses may also concern methods, the organisation of activities (see, for example, the specific themes proposed for this exercise) or any other type of contribution of interest to space research.
At the end of the seminar, recommendations for some of the proposals discussed may be issued concerning pre-project activities, phase 0 studies or Research and Technology (R&T). Recommendations may also be made for certain proposals to move on to the definition and implementation phases.