Radio science encompasses the knowledge and study of all aspects of electromagnetic fields and waves. The International Union of Radio Science (Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale), a non-governmental and non-profit organisation under the International Council for Science, is responsible for stimulating and co-ordinating, on an international basis, studies, research, applications, scientific exchange, and communication in the fields of radio science. Included within the objectives are the following:
- To encourage and promote international activity in radio science and its applications, for the benefit of humanity;
- to encourage the adoption of common methods of measurement, and the inter-comparison and standardisation of the measuring instruments used in scientific work;
- to stimulate and co-ordinate studies of:
- the scientific aspects of telecommunications using electromagnetic waves, guided and unguided;
- the generation, emission, radiation, propagation, reception, and detection of fields and waves, and the processing of the signals embedded in them;
- to represent radio science to the general public, and to public and private organisations.