THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) undertook a high-level joint workshop focused on the next frontier of solar science. The ISRO-ESA Heliophysics Workshop was held from January 19th to 23rd, 2026, at the Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa in Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram. Around 230 participants from across the globe, including 40 foreign delegates, attended the event. The programme featured 34 invited talks and 100 poster presentations. Organized by the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), this landmark event brought together the global scientific community to synchronize data from three of the world’s most advanced solar missions: Aditya-L1, Solar Orbiter, and Proba-3. Located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, the venue hosted delegates from across the world as discussions moved beyond theory into practical, collaborative data analysis.

Synergizing Three Giant Leaps in Solar Observation

The workshop centred on the combined scientific potential of three distinct missions:

Aditya-L1 (ISRO): India’s first dedicated solar mission, positioned at the L1 Lagrange point.

Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA): A complex laboratory that captured the closest-ever images of the Sun and its enigmatic polar regions.

Proba-3 (ESA): A world-first formation-flying mission in which two spacecraft created an artificial solar eclipse in space. 

Objectives and Program Highlights

Joint Data Analysis: Experts explored methods to merge multi-vantage point data to address long-standing questions, including the heating of the solar corona. Hands-on Training: Three half-day sessions at the venue were dedicated to science data processing and were led by the original instrument teams.

International Networking: Poster sessions and technical discussions fostered long-term international collaborations in space weather prediction.

About the Organizers

The workshop was organized by IIST in collaboration with ISRO and ESA. The event reinforced the growing partnership between the Indian and European space sectors, building on the momentum of the Proba-3 launch aboard ISRO’s PSLV.

Media Contact:
For more information, visit the official workshop portal: https://events.iist.ac.in/ISRO-ESA/index.php
E-mail: [email protected]