The final showcasing of the Students As Planetary Defenders (StAnD) took place at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly and Associated Events, in Florence, Italy, 1 to 9 August 2026. The COSPAR Scientific Assembly is a major international event gathering space scientists, researchers, educators, and university students working in a wide range of fields related to space science and exploration. The 46th Assembly attracted more than 3,000 participants, including approximately 2,000 scientists and researchers, from over 46 countries.
During the Opening Reception on 3 August, attended by approximately 2,500 participants, four StAnD students were presented with certificates of achievement recognising their active involvement in the project. This provided a high-profile opportunity to highlight the project and its educational approach to a large and predominantly scientific audience.
From 2 to 8 August, StAnD was a part of the COSPAR booth in the Exhibition Area, where a project partner was present during the coffee breaks to introduce the project, and explain its activities and outcomes in greater detail. A StAnD roll-up banner remained visible throughout the week, together with a slideshow presenting the project, and a slide that was displayed in every scientific session room in between every session.
StAnD was further disseminated through four presentations delivered by StAnD partners Dario Barghini (INAF), Chiara Lamberti (INAF), and Gustavo Rojas (NUCLIO) during the Assembly Panel on Education sessions. These presentations addressed different aspects of the project, including planetary defence education, the StAnD Meteor Camera Toolkit, fireball observation and triangulation techniques, and youth engagement. The presentations attracted audiences of over 60 people (15 teachers, 15 educators, 4 students, 30 researchers).
An especially important element of the final showcasing was the active participation of the students themselves. On 4 August, four StAnD students, accompanied by their teachers, gave a presentation about their experiences and work within the project to an audience of approximately 30 teachers and space science researchers.
The presence of the students enabled the project to reach an international audience of space scientists and researchers while simultaneously giving the participating young people the opportunity to communicate their experiences directly to professionals in the field.
Below is a photo mosaic highlighting additional moments of the StAnD project throughout COSPAR 2026
(Photo credits: Chiara Lamberti and NUCLIO)
