In mid-September, ESA ESOC and the Hamburg University of Technology co-hosted the main forum developing international space standards. 

Between 15 and 19 September 2025 ESA ESOC hosted the Fall Meetings of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) in Hamburg, Germany, in collaboration with the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). For one week, over a hundred world-leading experts from all major space agencies and industry worked on establishing the foundations of technical interoperability through space communications and data systems standards for future space missions.

Open technical standards are massively important for space missions, both institutional and industrial. They ensure interoperability of components from different vendors and thus foster industrial competitiveness while dramatically reducing overall cost and risk both for the manufacturer as well as the customer mission. 

Furthermore, CCSDS standards make co-operations between space agencies possible in the first place. They allow cross-support between ground stations of different operators (e.g. ESA using a NASA deep space antenna to contact a mission and vice versa). They ensure exchange of data and information between spacecraft and operations centres of multiple players, enabling complex cooperation projects such as Moonlight/LunaNet, Lunar Gateway, and Mars telecommunications. Because of their strategic value, CCSDS standards are already powering more than 1300 space missions, including all ESA missions.

“The need for technical standards in space missions is growing as technology is advancing and modern concepts such as the Solar System Internet are starting to become reality. CCSDS is adapting to this new reality by onboarding new technologies, increasing the involvement of industry, and streamlining its procedures for a more rapid response capability” says Dr. Daniel Fischer, Chair of the CCSDS Engineering Steering Group.

A highlight of the week was the Standards for Interoperability Workshop, closing the loop with missions and industrial suppliers. Key topics were, among others, optical communication, security, Lunar communications, positioning and timing, cross support, and Delay Tolerant Networking. The development of standards in those emerging domains is strategic for the success of ESA programmes that are now being evolved or proposed, such as Moonlight, Lightship/MARCONI, and OpSTAR. Space industry representatives also underlined the economic value of open standards and industries willingness to play a more central role in the standardisation process, e.g. through standards prototyping.

CCSDS will continue to produce high-quality technical standards serving the needs of upcoming missions and ensuring interoperability. The next physical CCSDS meeting will take place in the United States in April 2026. Any interested party is invited to participate in its work and contribute to the wide portfolio of technical standards for space.

More information can be found on the CCSDS website.