On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I, whose radio signals and naked eye observations astounded researchers around the world. Although this came as a surprise, it was in fact part of the intended plan for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) that called for the launching of artificial satellites as one of its projects. The IGY was conducted from July, 1957 to December, 1958, twenty-five years after the Second International Polar Year, and during a period of high solar activity. The scientific response to the remarkable launch of Sputnik I, followed by other launches soon after, was for the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), now the International Council for Science, to establish a Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) during an international meeting in London in 1958. To mark this date, a 50th Anniversary Celebration will take place during COSPAR 2008 in Montréal, Canada, by adding an extra day to the normal schedule.

There will be a celebratory program on Monday, July 14, to mark this historical occasion, and recall the events of the early years. COSPAR's first Space Science Symposium was organized in Nice in January 1960 and owing to the rapid pace of space research, meetings were initially held on an annual basis. Later, the interval between Scientific Assemblies was changed to two years, making COSPAR 2008 the 37th Assembly. We invite you to celebrate with us.