Editor’s note: These brief extracts are paraphrased from live webcast and may not be fully correct.
Future ISS Perspectives: ‘The ISS and ESA’s future Science and Technology’
Michael Longair, ESA HISPAC Chair
Download the full presentation slides: The ISS and ESA’s Future Science and Technology
- There is a fine line between science, applied science and technology in ESA activities.
- HISPAC (High-level Science Policy Advisory Committee) was set up to think about interdisciplinary science and technology without considering financial or political restraints.
- The HISPAC team is made up of star scientists.
- ESA reorganised the structure of its science advisory.
- In preparation for the ESA ministerial council meeting HISPAC was asked to prepare long-term grand science themes across all ESA programmes.
- The director general himself has not seen these themes:
- 1. Cosmic climate: Earth observation and studying exo-planets.
- 2. Understanding gravity: gravity influences everything
- 3. Life in the universe
- 4. Cosmic magnetism and high energy particles in space.
- We need to look at space research horizontally across broad scientific themes.
The International Space Station partners published a combined website summarizing scientific, technological and educational accomplishments of research on the Station that has had and will continue to have an impact on life on Earth. 
