NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

About The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG)

In 2006, NASA joined 13 other space agencies in a series of discussions focused on global interests and common goals in space exploration. The resulting "The Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination," developed by the 14 space agencies, was released in May 2007. This GES Framework Document articulated a shared vision of coordinated human and robotic space exploration focused on Solar System destinations where humans may one day live and work.

A key finding of the Framework Document was the need to establish a voluntary, non-binding international coordination mechanism through which individual agencies may exchange information regarding interests, objectives, and plans in space exploration with the goal of strengthening both individual exploration programs as well as the collective effort. The coordination mechanism is now called the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG).

The following space agencies are ISECG members (in alphabetical order): ASI (Italy), CNES (France), CNSA (China), CSA (Canada), CSIRO (Australia), DLR (Germany), ESA (European Space Agency), ISRO (India), JAXA (Japan), KARI (Republic of Korea), NASA (United States of America), NSAU (Ukraine), Roscosmos (Russia), UKSA (United Kingdom).

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About the Global Exploration Roadmap

Global Exploration Roadmap was developed by the ISECG and is the culmination of work by 12 space agencies, including NASA, over the past year to advance coordinated space exploration.

The roadmap begins with the International Space Station and expands human presence throughout the solar system, leading ultimately to human missions to explore the surface of Mars. The first iteration of the roadmap flows from this strategy and identifies two potential pathways: "Asteroid Next" and "Moon Next." Each pathway represents a mission scenario over a 25-year period, describing a logical sequence of robotic and human missions. Both pathways were deemed practical approaches addressing common high-level exploration goals developed by the participating agencies — serving to inform individual agency decisions related to exploration preparatory activities.

The following space agencies participated in developing the GER (in alphabetical order): ASI (Italy), CNES (France), CSA (Canada), DLR (Germany), ESA (European Space Agency), ISRO (India), JAXA (Japan), (KARI (Republic of Korea), NASA (United States of America), NSAU (Ukraine), Roscosmos (Russia), UKSA (United Kingdom).

› Download The Global Exploration Roadmap (low-resolution, 10 MB PDF)
› Download The Global Exploration Roadmap (high-resolution, 47 MB PDF)