The COSPAR Space Science Award will be shared by Angela Bazzano of Italy and Gary P. Zank of the United States. Bazzano, a research director at the Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, has played a central role in high-energy astrophysics and the study of gamma-ray sources. Her career has included observations from balloon experiments and data analysis involving Exosat, BeppoSAX and the European Space Agency’s INTEGRAL gamma-ray observatory. She is particularly recognized for her contributions to the IBIS imaging telescope, an instrument designed to map the high-energy sky with unprecedented angular resolution.

Bazzano helped define the scientific objectives of IBIS and contributed to its calibration and long-term performance. She was also a leading member of the INTEGRAL Survey Team, helping establish the Galactic Plane Scanning and All-Sky Survey programmes. These surveys have revealed faint and variable sources across the Milky Way and beyond, including compact objects and energetic processes near the Galactic Centre. Her work has helped scientists understand how black holes, neutron stars and other extreme environments produce hard X-rays and gamma rays. Bazzano will be honored with minor planet (21038) Bazzano.

Gary P. Zank, a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, is being recognized for foundational work on the interaction between the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun, while the local interstellar medium consists of the tenuous gas and magnetic fields surrounding the heliosphere. Zank developed influential models of this boundary region, including predictions of a “hydrogen wall,” where neutral hydrogen becomes compressed ahead of the heliosphere as the solar wind pushes against interstellar space.

Zank also advanced theories of turbulence, particle acceleration and energetic-particle transport throughout the heliosphere. His models proposed that solar-wind turbulence consists primarily of two interacting components: two-dimensional fluctuations relative to the average magnetic field and slab-like fluctuations aligned with it. He also predicted that reflected interstellar pickup ions influence the structure of the heliospheric termination shock, a prediction later supported by observations from Voyager 2. His work has shaped modern theories of space weather and cosmic-ray transport. Minor planet (21039) Zank will carry his name.

The COSPAR International Cooperation Medal will go to Guenther Reitz of Germany, an internationally recognized expert in space radiation and dosimetry. Space radiation includes high-energy protons, heavy ions and secondary particles created when cosmic rays interact with spacecraft or human tissue. Reitz contributed to experiments that measured the biological effects of individual heavy ions and later led international investigations into radiation exposure during human spaceflight. His Matroshka project, involving 11 countries and 20 institutions, used a human phantom to measure radiation dose at different depths inside and outside the International Space Station.

The William Nordberg Medal will recognize David G. Sibeck of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and WANG Jinsong of China’s National Satellite Meteorological Center and National Center for Space Weather. Sibeck’s research has transformed understanding of how changes in the solar wind drive the magnetosphere and ionosphere. He established widely used models of the dayside magnetopause, the boundary separating Earth’s magnetic field from the solar wind, and helped explain how solar-wind disturbances produce global responses in near-Earth space. His work contributed to the THEMIS mission, which identified the physical processes responsible for magnetospheric substorms, and to the international SMILE mission, which will use soft X-ray imaging to study solar-wind charge exchange around Earth. He will be honored through minor planet (21042) Sibeck.

WANG Jinsong has led China’s FengYun meteorological satellite programme and helped expand the use of satellite observations for weather forecasting and space-weather monitoring. Under his leadership, the FengYun constellation has supported observations of solar-terrestrial activity, while the National Center for Space Weather has strengthened international coordination. The center has co-chaired the World Meteorological Organization’s Space Weather Coordination Group and became one of the global space-weather centers designated for aviation support by the International Civil Aviation Organization. His award reflects the growing importance of operational space science, which connects measurements of the Sun and near-Earth environment with services that protect communication, navigation, aviation and power systems. His minor planet designation is (21041) Wangjinsong.

COSPAR will award its Distinguished Service Medal to Carlos Gabriel, John D. Rummel and Pascal Willis. Gabriel is being honored for nearly 25 years of work with COSPAR’s Panel on Capacity Building, including eight years as its chair. He expanded international workshops, fellowships and alumni networks across Asia, Africa and Latin America and helped establish a small-satellite programme aimed at supporting emerging space nations. Rummel is recognized for his leadership in planetary protection, the discipline that prevents harmful biological contamination between Earth and other worlds. His work helped develop requirements for Mars missions, Mars Sample Return and future human exploration, while COSPAR workshops provided a forum for scientists, engineers, lawyers and policymakers to resolve complex mission risks. Their minor planets are (21045) Juangabriel and (21044) Rummel.

Willis, formerly of France’s Institut Géographique National, helped establish the International DORIS Service, which uses Doppler measurements from satellites to determine precise positions on Earth. He also chaired COSPAR’s Technical Panel on Satellite Dynamics and served as editor-in-chief of Advances in Space Research from 2014 to 2025. The journal publishes research across the space sciences, including Earth observation, planetary exploration, astrophysics and space plasma physics. Willis will be commemorated by minor planet (21043) Pascalwillis. The joint COSPAR–Indian Space Research Organization Vikram Sarabhai Medal will go to Annapurni Subramaniam, director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, for contributions to astronomy and space research in a developing country. She helped calibrate India’s AstroSat ultraviolet imaging telescope, studied stellar populations and binary evolution, and leads the proposed INSIST ultraviolet-optical space telescope. The joint COSPAR–Chinese Academy of Sciences Jeoujang Jaw Award will honor Keke Zhang of Macau for theoretical and observational advances in planetary dynamics, geomagnetic research and planetary dynamos. As principal investigator of Macau Science Satellite-1, launched in 2023, Zhang helped develop the first low-latitude geomagnetic satellite, providing precise measurements of Earth’s magnetic environment from the core to the magnetosphere.

Subject of Research:
International space science awards recognizing advances in gamma-ray astronomy, heliophysics, space radiation, space weather, planetary protection, satellite geodesy, ultraviolet astronomy and planetary science.

Article Title:
COSPAR Names 2026 Space Science Award Winners and Honors Them With Minor Planets

Web References:
https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/awards/award-citations/
https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/assets/uploads/2026/06/Recipients_Merge-Table_Web.pdf
https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/assets/uploads/2026/04/List-of-Awardees_for-Publication-1.pdf
https://www.linkedin.com/company/committee-on-space-research-cospar/
https://www.facebook.com/CommitteeOnSpaceResearch/
https://www.instagram.com/cosparhq/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC66pk6Eb0kPKC5Uqx-D-RLw

References:
Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), 2026 award citations and organizational information.

Keywords

COSPAR, space science awards, IAU minor planets, gamma-ray astronomy, heliosphere, solar wind, space weather, planetary protection, space radiation, satellite meteorology, ultraviolet astronomy, planetary science

The collaborative effort, headed by Dr. Daniel Winer of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging alongside scientists from NASA, the European Space Agency, and leading academic institutions, synthesizes decades of research while leveraging the latest multiomic technologies to unravel the complex interactions between space environment factors and the immune system. Their landmark paper, published in the October 16, 2025 issue of Nature Reviews Immunology, goes beyond epidemiological descriptions to mechanistically dissect the cellular and molecular perturbations induced by microgravity, cosmic radiation, circadian disruption, and mission-related psychological and physiological stressors. This integration provides a critical knowledge base for developing effective biomedical countermeasures.

Microgravity emerges as one of the primary disruptors of immune homeostasis. In the absence of Earth’s gravitational pull, cellular functions undergo profound alterations; immune cells, including T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, exhibit compromised proliferation, differentiation, and response efficacy. The structural integrity of immune cells themselves is challenged due to cytoskeletal disorganization, disrupting the delicate spatial arrangements necessary for signaling and intercellular communication. Additionally, microgravity induces mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to impaired energy metabolism and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS then inflict oxidative stress damage, collectively diminishing the immune system’s capacity to mount adequate defenses.

Cosmic radiation, pervasive beyond the protective layers of Earth’s atmosphere, exerts genotoxic effects that exacerbate immune compromise. High-energy charged particles cause DNA damage in immune cells, potentially triggering cellular senescence or apoptosis. This radiation-induced genomic instability not only diminishes immune cell populations but may also provoke aberrant inflammatory responses. The paper highlights how these radiation exposures synergistically interact with microgravity effects, creating compounded deleterious outcomes on immune regulation. Understanding these synergisms is vital for formulating protective shielding and pharmacological strategies.

Circadian rhythm disruption is another pivotal factor undermining immunity during spaceflight. Space travelers experience altered light-dark cycles leading to sleep disturbances and desynchronization of endogenous circadian clocks. Since immune responses are tightly linked to circadian regulation—affecting leukocyte trafficking, cytokine release, and pathogen recognition—disrupted rhythms contribute significantly to immune dysfunction. The study carefully examines how altered cortisol patterns and melatonin secretion interfere with immune surveillance, rendering astronauts more susceptible to infections and inflammatory disorders.

Beyond direct impacts on immune cells, spaceflight stressors dramatically reshape the astronaut microbiome. The balance of commensal bacterial species undergoes shifts, influencing systemic immunity and mucosal barrier integrity. These microbiome perturbations facilitate the reactivation of latent viruses, notably herpesviruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. Reactivation episodes can manifest as clinical illnesses from skin rashes to respiratory infections, as documented in astronauts during and after missions. Understanding microbiome-immune system crosstalk in space is consequently imperative for comprehensive health maintenance.

Cutting-edge multiomic analyses—including transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling—applied across recent NASA and ESA missions have shed new light on the molecular hallmarks of spaceflight immunosuppression. Integration of these data uncovers molecular signatures such as altered expression of immune checkpoint molecules, dysregulated cytokine profiles, and metabolic shifts favoring immunosenescence. Notably, the NASA Twins Study and analyses from the SpaceX Inspiration 4 mission provided unprecedented single-cell resolution data, elucidating which specific immune cell subsets are most vulnerable. These insights mark a paradigm shift from descriptive immunology toward mechanistic understanding.

Faced with these challenges, the researchers outline promising countermeasures to safeguard astronaut immunity. Foremost among these are continuous immune monitoring protocols to enable early detection of dysfunction. The development of tailored immune countermeasure regimens—including targeted vaccinations, nutraceutical interventions, and pharmacologics—is emphasized. Interestingly, the team identified Quercetin, a plant polyphenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as a viable space nutraceutical capable of mitigating oxidative stress and preserving immune function. Machine learning algorithms further enhance the ability to predict and customize such interventions based on individual astronaut omics profiles.

The roadmap set forth also advocates for advanced biobanking efforts, exemplified by initiatives like the Cornell Aerospace Medicine Biobank (CAMBank), to systematically collect and analyze biological samples from astronauts. These resources allow longitudinal studies correlating immune changes with mission parameters and environmental exposures. Future missions to the lunar surface and Mars present unique immunological challenges—including exposure to particulate matter from Lunar or Martian dust—which require dedicated investigation. The dynamic gravitational environments and prolonged radiation exposure encountered on these bodies complicate immune system adaptation, highlighting the need for continual research.

Astroimmunology’s relevance extends beyond spaceflight. Intriguingly, the immune alterations observed in microgravity overlap substantially with those seen during human aging, positioning spaceflight as an accelerated aging model. For example, mitochondrial dysfunction and cytoskeletal disorganization, hallmarks of immune senescence, appear prematurely in space. This parallel suggests that insights gleaned from space immunology could catalyze breakthroughs in understanding age-associated immune decline on Earth, potentially informing anti-aging therapeutics. The Buck Institute’s involvement underscores this translational potential.

In summary, the establishment of astroimmunology as a dedicated research field not only charts a course for protecting astronaut health during humanity’s ventures beyond Earth but also promises to deepen our grasp of immune system biology in broader contexts. The comprehensive mechanistic insights presented by Dr. Winer and collaborators act as a clarion call for intensified multidisciplinary collaboration involving space agencies, academia, and industry. As commercial spaceflight democratizes access to orbit and beyond, the health of those who journey into space depends on our swiftly advancing understanding and mitigation of immune system vulnerability under extraterrestrial conditions. The final frontier beckons, and with it, new frontiers in immunology.

Subject of Research: People

Article Title: Astroimmunology: the effects of spaceflight and its associated stressors on the immune system

News Publication Date: 16-Oct-2025

Web References: DOI: 10.1038/s41577-025-01226-6

Image Credits: Huixan Du, Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Keywords: Space sciences, Space research, Human health, Immunology, Immunosenescence, Space medicine, Cell biology, Immune response, Aging research