Call for Papers: 60 Years in Space

Earthzine60 Years in Space, Original, Themed Articles

The X-24A lifting-body research aircraft begins its rocket-powered flight after being launched from the wing of NASA’s B-52 mothership during a 1970 research flight. Image Credit: NASA

IEEE Earthzine seeks articles that feature advances in our understanding of space as they relate to Earth observation and information, and articles that explore the space program’s projected future.

2018 Special Themed Issue
Dec. 15, 2017-Feb. 28, 2018 *Accepting until further notice
Download the PDF here

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Sputnik satellite was launched, giving birth to the space age. Fifty years later, dozens of satellites are launched annually, many with Earth-observation missions. These out-of-this-world observations are crucial to our understanding of climate change, the night sky, water and the atmosphere, among other things. Science and technology born from the space program has had profound effects on life on Earth. For this special themed issue, we seek articles that feature advances in our understanding of space as they relate to Earth observation and information, and articles that explore the space program’s projected future.

Specific topics of interest for this theme include:

  • Space programs and their influence on our understanding of life on Earth, including their socio-economic impact, especially new programs in developing countries
  • How space technologies are used in people’s daily lives, from GNSS enabling mapping applications to hazard warning systems
  • Satellite and space technologies that have enabled a revolution in Earth observations and understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and environmental change, and natural hazards
  • The influence of astrophysics and planetary missions on understanding of Earth and the universe, e.g. Kepler,  WMAP, Hubble, Cassini, …
  • Future missions planned or in development to study aspects of Earth, such as GEDI (to study Earth’s forests) and ECOSTRESS (to study plant water use) from the International Space Station
  • Biographical accounts of people, animals, plants and other forms of life that have lived in space
  • Deep-space gateway and future concepts for human exploration.

We seek contributions from relevant disciplines and all regions of the globe. These can address current and emerging research and development issues, approaches, techniques or applications; community, state, and/or international initiatives; and other topics related to regional and global science, impacts, adaptation and policy. Authors may consider submitting:

  • Original research (to be reviewed by subject matter experts)
  • Feature articles about programs, events, and activities designed to raise awareness or actions to space programs and Earth observations
  • News briefs on any topic related to the theme
  • Interviews with leaders
  • Photographic essays
  • Book, exhibition, and art reviews focusing on theme
  • First-person narratives.


Important dates
: Submissions for the 60 Years in Space Theme will be accepted *until Jan. 31, 2018 further notice. Submit articles to Kelley Christensen, science editor, at kjhchristensen@gmail.com. Queries may be sent at any time.

Publication: All accepted contributions will undergo review by subject-matter experts, be published online at Earthzine.org, and be freely accessible to the public. Earthzine does not charge authors for publishing.

Please consult our Writer Guidelines for further information and to access an article template. Submissions should include two to three visuals relevant to the content. Visuals may be graphs, charts, photographs or other appropriate images, with caption and credit information included.

Submissions Theme Editor Managing Editor
Kelley Christensen Paul E. Racette, D.Sc. Jeff Kart, M.A.
kjhchristensen@gmail.com editor@earthzine.org jkart@earthzine.org