Conference “Baltic Applied Astroinformatics and Space Data Processing”
Over two days, 12–13 November, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences hosted the 9th International Scientific Conference Baltic Applied Astroinformatics and Space Data Processing (BAASP), organized by the Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre”. The conference brought together scientists from the Baltic States, Europe, and other parts of the world to share research on astrophysics and radio astronomy, near-Earth space studies, and space technologies.
The BAASP conference is held in Ventspils every two years. This conference series serves as a platform for fostering and strengthening international cooperation and knowledge exchange in the Baltic region and worldwide. It brings together astronomers, space scientists and engineers, as well as experts from related fields such as computer science, electronics, satellite technologies, geodesy, remote sensing, and environmental sciences. This year’s conference gathered participants from Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, and representatives from Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland, as well as from Ukraine, Spain, Nigeria, Algeria, and China. Thus, the geographical reach of this year’s participants extended well beyond the Baltic region. The keynote speakers were Professor Andris Slavinskis from the University of Tartu (Estonia), Dr. Oleg Ulyanov from the Radio Astronomy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Professor Ilya Usoskin from the University of Oulu (Finland). In total, the conference participants delivered 29 presentations.
BAASP 2025 continued the discussion on how emerging technologies are shaping astronomy, space science, geosciences, and remote sensing. As emphasized in the conference topics, so-called “big data” plays an increasingly important role in space science, requiring powerful capabilities for data acquisition, management, processing, and interpretation. Astroinformatics, as an interdisciplinary field, combines space science with high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, enabling major advancements in observational astronomy, satellite technologies, and Earth–space interaction studies. In recent years, Europe has continued to play a significant role in the development of next-generation astronomy. The expansion of the LOFAR low-frequency antenna network across the continent, including the Baltic region, enables high-resolution studies of cosmic magnetism, solar activity, and transient radio phenomena. The European VLBI Network (EVN) has significantly enhanced its real-time e-VLBI capabilities and sensitivity across a wide frequency range, supported by UK-based stations such as Jodrell Bank and e-MERLIN. These improvements have contributed to precise localization of fast radio bursts and compact extragalactic sources. Technological progress also enables automated, rapid-response observation modes. This emerging field integrates radio, optical, gravitational-wave, and neutrino data to study high-energy cosmic events such as neutron-star mergers and magnetar flares. At the same time, AI-driven data acquisition, on-board satellite computing, and quantum-technology-based algorithms open new possibilities for real-time analysis and autonomous decision-making in both Earth-observation and deep-space missions. CubeSats and modular satellite platforms continue to transform the landscape of low-cost, high-impact space research, creating new demands for data-integration and security models, as well as cross-domain interoperability.
“During the conference we focus on space science both from the scientific and technological perspectives—data processing, algorithms, electronics, receivers, and astrophysics and astronomy as such,” explained Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre researcher Vladislavs Bezrukovs. The presentations largely reflected ongoing projects. “One of the conference topics is space weather. The Sun is currently at the peak of its activity cycle; a magnetic storm is approaching, and there have just been three large solar flares. Several talks at the conference were related to solar studies and extreme solar and space conditions,” Bezrukovs noted. “There were also presentations on instruments that allow us to observe the cosmos—telescopes and transmitters. We position ourselves as a deep-space communication center, and these presentations show how this technology is progressing. The conference also covered galactic and extragalactic studies, fundamental science, and fundamental astrophysics.”
Rector of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Andris Vaivads, highlighted one of the conference topics especially relevant to the university—the presentation by Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre research assistant Gints Jasmonts on Modeling Comet Activity for the European Space Agency’s Comet Interceptor Mission. “Doctoral student Gints Jasmonts presented research on comet modeling—how comet tails form and how comae (envelopes of gas and dust) develop around comets. Several of our scientists work in this field, and Ventspils University is involved in ESA’s upcoming Comet Interceptor mission. This mission will travel to a fixed point in space and wait for an unknown object entering the Solar System from interstellar space, which will then be studied. Our researchers are modeling how the environment around such an object might look and how different instruments on the spacecraft could observe it. The Ventspils-based company Bitlake Technologies is also involved in system development for this mission,” Vaivads said. Expanding on this, Bezrukovs added: “This is especially relevant now because an interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, is currently traveling through the Solar System, raising many questions—and the Comet Interceptor mission will study such possible future visitors.”
Speakers delivered their presentations over two days, and on the second day participants also visited the International Radio Astronomy Centre in Irbene. “I hope this may become an annual event. The number of speakers is growing, so there is interest in making the conference broader and more frequent,” Bezrukovs added.
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