ESA will host the second Exploration Science Workshop, this time in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), building on the success of the 2024 edition in Warsaw. The three-day event will feature science highlights, plenary discussions, and ample opportunities for networking.
About the event
The ESA Exploration Science Workshop 2026 brings together scientists, ESA Member State delegations, and industry partners for three days of scientific exchange and strategic discussion at the forefront of human and robotic space exploration.
The workshop will showcase the full breadth of exploration science across Low Earth Orbit, the Moon, and Mars, connecting all communities into a shared scientific narrative. It will take stock of what has been achieved and what is currently underway, while placing a strong emphasis on what comes next, including community-driven recommendations for future research directions, priorities, and opportunities that will shape the next chapter of European exploration science.
Why attend?
- Explore2040 Strategy update: Get a comprehensive update on the science and programmatic elements of ESA’s Explore2040 Strategy two years on, including the latest developments in the current dynamic programmatic context, and the outlook for the years ahead.
- Outcomes & achievements: Hear the latest results from ESA Exploration Science activities across LEO, lunar, and Mars programmes.
- Shape future research: Contribute to recommendations for future research directions across the exploration science community.
- How to get involved with ESA: Gain practical insight into engaging with ESA, including tips from ESA experts, first-hand reflections from the community on previous application experiences, suggestions for future calls and opportunities, and an open Q&A to answer questions and provide clarifications.
- Network: Connect with leading scientists, ESA experts, Member State representatives, and industry partners from across Europe and beyond.
- Young Investigators session: Hear early-career researchers present cutting-edge work in a dedicated pitch and poster session.
Who should attend?
Scientists, ESA Member State delegations, and industry partners with an interest in exploration science across Low Earth Orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
Event Location & Dates
When: 24 – 26 November 2026
Where: Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Headquarters, Rome, Italy
Address: Via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Roma, Italia
Practical Information: link
Early Career Researchers: Call for Abstracts
Are you an early career researcher working in exploration science?
ESA is pleased to invite early career researchers to submit abstracts for the ESA Exploration Science Workshop 2026 as part of a dedicated Call for Abstracts.
Up to 10 abstracts will be selected for presentation at the workshop. Each selected investigator will be invited to deliver a 3-minute pitch and 2-minute Q&A and to present a poster in front of a multi-disciplinary international audience of scientists, ESA staff, Member State delegations, and industry partners. Registrations fees will be waived, and a €1,000 travel grant will be awarded to each selected participant to support attendance.
SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED
Selected Early Career Researchers:
- Clay mineralogy and IR spectral signatures of Mars analogue sedimentary rocks
Grace Nielson, University of St. Andrews, UK - SELENA: Sustainable microbial Ecosystem for Lunar ExploratioN Applications
Isabel Santos de Sousa, University of Porto, Portugal - Bringing Space Radiation to Earth: Machine-Learning-Driven Optimization of the GCR Simulator at FAIR
Luca Lunati, GSI, Germany - Shotgun metagenomics reveals planetary protection relevant microbial diversity
Anna Tumeo, University of Galway, Ireland - Lunar Pyroclastic Deposits as Science and Resource Targets for Future Exploration
Giacomo Melchiori, University of Padova, Italy - Towards robotic in situ sample processing and searching for biomarkers in terrestrial analogues for planetary exploration
Sergio Quevedo-Caraballo, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC)/ Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain - Microgravity and Innate Immunity in vitro on the ISS Using a Novel Method for Organoid Culture in Spaceflight
Ryan Sarkar, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany - Multilevel sensorimotor re-adaptation after long-duration spaceflight
Anna Finazzi Agrò, University of Trento, Italy - Ground truth for ESA’s PROSPECT package: characterising lunar volatiles before landing
Dr. Stephanie Halwa, The Open University, UK - Evaluation of astronaut exposure from GCR and historical SPEs within the scope of the ARTEMIS missions: implications for shielding strategies using a microdosimetric cancer risk factor (Q) method
Dr. Alexis Papadopoulos, University of Ioannina, Greece
Your Voice, Our Future: Interactive Discussion with ESA – Community Input
We want to hear from the community. Ahead of the ESA Exploration Science Workshop 2026 we are gathering questions, comments, and recommendations on any aspect of ESA Exploration Science.
Your input will help shape the “Your Voice, Our Future” discussion session on Day 3 of the workshop.
Submit your input by 8 November 2026.