Aims and scope

Space Science Reviews (SSRv) is an international journal on scientific space research. Its purpose is to provide a contemporary synthesis of the various branches of space research, with emphasis on scientific results and instruments in the fields of astrophysics, physics of planetary systems, solar physics, and physics of magnetospheres & interplanetary matter.

In addition to Topical Collections and Invited Reviews, Space Science Reviews encourages the submission of unsolicited Review Articles and Special Communications.

• Special Communications are articles linked to an earlier topical volume/collection, report-type papers, or timely papers dealing with a strong space-science-technology combination (such papers summarize the science and technology of an instrument or mission in one paper). 
  
  Proposals and white papers can form a good basis for a Special Communication when addressing the basic concepts or ideas, rather than e.g. a specific instrument or mission that is still in an early proposal phase and that may not be selected. The instrument or mission can be addressed as an example. Since it may take a decade or longer to the launch (and possibly an associated Topical Collection), Space Science Reviews thus provides the opportunity to publish basic concepts and ideas at an early stage.

Space Science Reviews is aiming to broaden its scope by now also including other types of review articles, namely Perspective and Primer articles: 

• Perspectives are scholarly reviews and discussions of the primary research literature that does not meet the criteria for a review article. This could be because the scope is too narrow, or because the piece is intended to provoke discussion of a controversial position, a speculative hypothesis, or alternative interpretations of existing work.
• Primers are short, authoritative review articles that explores the basics of a subject together with recent, cutting-edge research findings. They are intended to provide readers with both an introduction to a specific technology or methodology, as well as provide a guide for implementing it in their own research.