Overview
This summer school aims:
to stimulate the cross-fertilisation of ideas between the communities who work in space sciences, exoplanets and solar system dynamics
to understand the latest tools and methods of analysis necessary for research into space mission design and the dynamics, formation and evolution of exoplanets, solar system bodies and planetary systems.
Topics
Celestial Mechanics Theories & Tools for Space Missions and Space Sciences
Resonances, Regularization Theory, Perturbation theories, Homoclinic and Heteroclinic chaos, Dissipative models, Theory of close encounters, Time standards, Ephemerides, Astronomical Reference frames, Use of AI, data analysis and statistical techniques.
The Solar System
Artificial satellites, Earth and Moon geophysics and dynamical evolution, Space telescopes, Satellite observation of Earth environments, Dust and Space Debris, Near Earth Objects: Observe, Predict and Protect, Orbit determination, Planetary Defence and asteroid deflection, Space mission design for interplanetary exploration, Dynamics of Rubble Piles, Chaotic Dynamics in outer planetary regions.
Extrasolar Planets & Exoplanetary Systems
Ground and space based projects, Planet Detection and Demographics, Geophysics of planets: interiors to atmospheres, Tides and Exoplanets, Disc and formation of planets, Post-main sequence planetary systems evolution, The Search for Life.
If you haven’t been to a CELTA-Cortina style of Advanced Study Institute (ASI) School before – it is great fun – 2 weeks of collaboration, exchange of ideas and learning of state-of-the-art theories and tools for research in Celestial Mechanics, Space Missions, Space Sciences, Exoplanetary Systems and Solar System Dynamics. All delivered and facilitated by internationally renowned lecturers.
Who is it for
We welcome PhD students, early-career researchers and established researchers from around the world. This Advanced Study School will teach the latest theories, tools and methods of analysis for investigating space mission orbital design, extra solar planets and solar system dynamics. The School is also a opportunity for senior, experienced, post-doctoral and PhD researchers to come together to exchange ideas and develop their collaborative research projects.
The ASTROCELTA ASI School and its sponsors, Scottish Universities Summer School in Physics (SUSSP) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU), are committed to fostering a research community that is diverse and inclusive. Particularly, we welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities, people of all ethnic origins, religion, citizenship, language, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and age.
Description
Ever since the first discovery of extra solar planets in 1992 over 30 years ago, the detection and investigation into the dynamical behaviour of extra solar planets and planetary systems has been one of the most active and exciting fields in astrodynamics. As of January 2026, there are now over 6,000 confirmed exoplanets orbiting in over 4,500 planetary systems to explore.
With the advent of space exploration utilising specialised missions and space-based observatories, there is a wealth of new dynamical problems within the Solar System to study. This includes not only the dynamics of the Earth and Solar System bodies but also the orbital dynamics of the man-made satellites and spacecraft launched into space to do work for corporations, serve society, study Earth and to investigate and explore the unknown in Space Sciences.
Connecting research and space exploration of our Solar System, with Exoplanetary Science provides insight into the formation, evolution of planetary systems and the bodies within them, including those in our own Solar System. It is therefore timely, to hold a School on Dynamic Solar Systems, exploring the dynamic nature of exoplanetary and solar system bodies.
Taught by lecturers of high-international standing, the Advanced Study Institute summer school will bring together many of our brightest young researchers, providing them with a systematic development from the fundamental mathematics which underpin modern studies of regular and chaotic dynamical behaviour in the few body gravitational problem to a clear view of the most recent developments in extra solar planets, spacecraft orbital design, solar system dynamics and solar system exploration.
The lecturers will explore in interactive practical sessions the methods and tools needed for research into exoplanets and the solar system, the challenges faced by scientists in theory and in observation, focusing on the processes of enquiry as well as the results. They will also deliver thought provoking talks to lead discussions and debate on new ways forward, possible new paradigms of thinking, finding the missing lines of science, the gaps and exploring the possibilities for future research. It is hoped that the School will enable our young researchers to have the skills to study and solve some of the real and challenging problems facing the future.
History
This summer school is the third in the international summer school series in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy run under the patronage of the International Astronomical Union Commissions A4, F2 and X2. The first two summer schools in 2017 and 2022 have been very successful with attendance of around 60 participants from over 20 countries.
2017 Satellite Dynamics and Space Missions, 28 August – 2 September 2017, Viterbo, Italy
2022 SUSSP77 From Stardust to Extrasolar planets, 15 – 27 August 2022, Skye & Inverness, Scotland
The new international CELTA summer school series continues the tradition of the Cortina series of twelve Advanced Study Institutes/Summer Schools held every three years on the applications of astrodynamics between 1972 and 2007. 2000 and 2007 were SUSSP schools held in Scotland.
2007 SUSSP Extra Solar Planets: the detection, formation, evolution and dynamics of planetary systems, Skye May 2007. with related textbook published in 2010.
The topic of the 2026 SUSSP83 Summer School covers the latest research in Exoplanets and Solar System dynamics and will provide an excellent update four years on from the 2022 SUSSP77 School.