Lunar Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - Challenges and Opportunities
Day: Thursday 8 October
Time: 11:30 - 12:00
Location: D3 - NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre
The exploration of the Moon is of the highest importance for humanity as it holds secrets of the solar system creation. Dedicated processes are required to preserve scientific investigation of the Moon, especially in unexplored areas and sites of scientific and cultural significance to assure successful and sustainable research of the Moon and its orbital environment. In particular, the lunar surface holds significant scientific value for astronomy, solar physics, space weather research, astrobiology, and fundamental physics. At the same time, it is a focal point for commercial activities aimed at exploiting potentially valuable resources. Certain regions on the Moon are of greater scientific or economic importance and therefore attract heightened interest from multiple stakeholders. This underscores the need for effective management of these areas called Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The panel, composed of rapresentatives from COSPAR, IAU, MVA and Industry will discuss the status of the definition and management of SSSI, including the activities of the “Friends of Lunar SSSI”. This group includes experts from national delegations and the relevant organizations.
