International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations SMOPS 2026

09 Apr 2026 CW Team

The conference was inaugurated on eight April by the erstwhile Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space, A S Kiran Kumar, with senior representatives from ISRO and IAA in attendance. Sessions addressed mission operations management, automation, cybersecurity and ground station operations. The proceedings emphasised international collaboration and integration of upstream and downstream techniques.

Principal themes included mission design and strategy, large constellations, artificial intelligence and robotics, human space programmes and space domain awareness. Delegates examined current milestones, future horizons and policy challenges arising from disruptive technological innovation and increasing space traffic. The role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in enabling autonomous, efficient operations was a recurring focus.

The programme featured 120 oral and 88 poster presentations and drew experts from ESA, CNES, DLR, NASA, JAXA and other agencies and centres. The conference served as a networking platform where space agencies, start ups, industry and academia shared state of the art technologies and strategies. The final day workshop included invited talks on robotic operations on the International Space Station, space domain awareness and astronaut training and attracted wide participation.

Participants underlined the need for meticulous planning and proactive international engagement to address the complexity of distributed mission operations and the challenges of large constellations. ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), the hub of spacecraft operations for Low Earth Orbit and deep space missions, highlighted achievements including the Mangalyaan mission, the Chandrayaan three soft landing, the insertion of Aditya L one and docking experiments in SpaDEx. Delegates concluded that SMOPS provided a confluence of ideas to foster collaboration and chart a sustainable roadmap for future mission operations.

The second edition of the International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations, SMOPS 2026, was held eight to ten April 2026 in Bangalore. The event was jointly organised by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Astronautical Society of India and the International Academy of Astronautics and focused on innovative operations for smart and sustainable mission management. A workshop for students and young professionals took place on ten April. The conference was inaugurated on eight April by the erstwhile Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space, A S Kiran Kumar, with senior representatives from ISRO and IAA in attendance. Sessions addressed mission operations management, automation, cybersecurity and ground station operations. The proceedings emphasised international collaboration and integration of upstream and downstream techniques. Principal themes included mission design and strategy, large constellations, artificial intelligence and robotics, human space programmes and space domain awareness. Delegates examined current milestones, future horizons and policy challenges arising from disruptive technological innovation and increasing space traffic. The role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in enabling autonomous, efficient operations was a recurring focus. The programme featured 120 oral and 88 poster presentations and drew experts from ESA, CNES, DLR, NASA, JAXA and other agencies and centres. The conference served as a networking platform where space agencies, start ups, industry and academia shared state of the art technologies and strategies. The final day workshop included invited talks on robotic operations on the International Space Station, space domain awareness and astronaut training and attracted wide participation. Participants underlined the need for meticulous planning and proactive international engagement to address the complexity of distributed mission operations and the challenges of large constellations. ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), the hub of spacecraft operations for Low Earth Orbit and deep space missions, highlighted achievements including the Mangalyaan mission, the Chandrayaan three soft landing, the insertion of Aditya L one and docking experiments in SpaDEx. Delegates concluded that SMOPS provided a confluence of ideas to foster collaboration and chart a sustainable roadmap for future mission operations.

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