Comment about Capacity Building Workshop "Crystallography for Space Sciences" co-organized by IUCr-COSPAR-IAU in Puebla, Mexico, 2016

COSPAR, the International Union of Crystallography and the International Astronomical Union together organized a very successful International School/Workshop on Crystallography for Space Sciences, within the frame of COSPAR Capacity Building Workshop (CBW). It was held in Puebla, Mexico in April 17-29 2016. The aim of the Workshop was to prepare a selected number of participants for the next generation of projects in search of a deeper knowledge and understanding of extraterrestrial minerals and rocks, either large solid bodies or interstellar dust particles, using in-situ and remote analytical techniques. The workshop hosted about 30 PhD students, postdocs and young staff members from Central and South America. They were trained in modern crystallographic techniques in the fields of diffraction, imaging, spectroscopy and remote sensing. They learned from the world class experts about the formation of mineral growth patterns in the early Earth, our Moon, Mars and other planets and moons, meteorites and interstellar dust, as well as relevance of crystals with origin of life and detection of primitive life forms. During the workshop, the students analyzed and discussed data from the missions Discovery and Curiosity as well as the forthcoming Exomars mission. Portable difractometers and spectrophotometers designed for these missions were used during field trips for remote analysis of volcanic rocks. Possibilities of organizing similar CBW on other continents will be discussed