27 November 2025 09:00 - 17:00 | Virtual, and at The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BG
27 November 2025 | 09:00 - 17:00 | Virtual, and at The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BG
Geoscience techniques in space science — Celebrating the impact that geoscience has on planetary exploration and launching the UK Planetary Forum as a special interest group of the Geological Society, also affiliated with the Royal Astronomical Society.
The aim of this meeting is to connect researchers engaged in the UK’s planetary exploration program with the geoscience community, the media and policy makers. It will showcase the role geoscience techniques play in planetary exploration and the impact that that has on our understanding of the natural world.
We will hold a one-day meeting on Thursday 27 November consisting of a programme of science talks throughout the day, a community update session, and a planetary exploration showcase as part of a stakeholder engagement event in the afternoon/early evening. This will also serve as a public launch of the UK Planetary Forum (UKPF) as the newest special interest group of the GeolSoc affiliated with the RAS.
We encourage contributions that cover: the latest results from planetary exploration research, comparative planetology, including well contextualised field and analogue studies, meteorites, sample analysis, and studies using geoscience techniques as part of active and upcoming planetary exploration missions.
We have put together themes for the science section of the day. For our posters in the knowledge exchange event we will be inviting people but feel that these themes will cover al the areas.
- Geology, Geomorphology and Geophysics across the solar system - Understanding how planets form and their geological history from observation and modeling.
- Comparative field and Analogue studies - Using Earth as a natural laboratory to understand features and processes on other planetary bodies and develop tools and approaches for space missions.
- Meteorites, asteroids and cosmic dust - Investigating early Solar System formation, including the building blocks of planets, by analysing samples that have fallen to Earth and those returned by recent asteroid sample return missions.
- Sample analysis and experimental studies - Unravelling the geological processes that have taken place on extraterrestrial bodies, throughout Solar System history, to form the materials observed today.
- Latest exploration results - Observations and new science from active and past planetary missions including the surface exploration of Mars
- Future exploration of the Solar System - Studies directly associated with preparation for forthcoming missions, such as ExoMars, EnVision, Moon missions (PROSPECT, dimple)
Mark Nottingham – University of Glasgow
Karen-Anne Devoil – University College London
Steven Banham – Imperial College London
Peter Fawdon – Open University
Sponsorship
Showcase your commitment to advancing cutting-edge science, align with sustainable energy transition goals and bolster your Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments. We understand that each organisation has unique objectives, and we welcome the opportunity to tailor bespoke packages to meet your specific needs.
For more information, please get in touch: sponsorship@geolsoc.org.uk
Registration for this conference will open shortly.