Journal profile · Multiple
Discover Space
ISSN 2948-295X · Springer Nature
Discover Space: CAS Zone 4 · Physics & Astronomy (2026 Xinrui edition); impact factor 1.8 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 1,520; median 135 days to acceptance (33 articles, last 24 months); 19 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Discover Space is published by Springer Nature and is classed under Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics, Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics and Planetary Science and Exploration, together about 26.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Astronomy and Astrophysics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Discover Space (formerly Earth, Moon and Planets) is a fully open access peer-reviewed journal that supports multidisciplinary research and policy developments across all fields relevant to space sciences. The journal aims to be a resource for researchers, policy makers and the general public for recent advances in space sciences, diffusion of knowledge and its uses in research development and society. As a fully open access journal, we ensure that our research is highly accessible, being instantly and globally available to everyone, while maintaining the high-quality standards of the Springer Nature publishing house. Please see our journal update (Earth, Moon, and Planets is now Discover Space and fully open access!) for more information on APCs, funding options, and waivers.Topics Topics welcomed at Discover Space include but are not limited to the following: Astrobiology, Astrochemistry and Exoplanets Astrochemical processes in interstellar and planetary environments Biosignatures and their detection techniques Chemistry of protoplanetary disks and planet formation Comparative planetology between exoplanets and solar system bodies Detection and characterization of exoplanets Exoplanet atmospheres, climates, and habitability Exoplanet formation, evolution, and dynamics Extremophiles and their environments Habitability of exoplanets and moons Life detection missions and instruments Organic compounds in space and on celestial bodies Origins of life in the universe Search for extra-terrestrial intelligence Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Earth and Solar System Asteroids, comets, and meteoroids Astrometry and celestial coordinate systems Celestial mechanics and orbital dynamics Dynamics and evolution of celestial systems (stars, galaxies, clusters, planets, etc.) Earth observation from space Earth atmosphere from space and balloons Formation and evolution of planetary rings Interactions between celestial bodies (e.g. gravitational interactions, collisions) Observational and theoretical studies of celestial objects (stars, galaxies, nebulae, etc.) Planetary science (including geology, atmospheres, and surfaces of planets and moons) Solar system formation and evolution Astrophysics and Cosmology Active galactic nuclei and quasars Alternative cosmologies, actual controversies and tensions Black holes and their astrophysical manifestations Cosmic inflation and the Big Bang theory Cosmic microwave background radiation Cosmic ray astrophysics Dark matter and dark
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamicsPhysics and Astronomy12.6%
- Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsPhysics and Astronomy7.4%
- Planetary Science and ExplorationPhysics and Astronomy6.3%
- Astronomy and Astrophysical ResearchPhysics and Astronomy6.3%
- Dark Matter and Cosmic PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
- Dust and Plasma Wave PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy5.3%
- Earthquake Detection and AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences5.3%
- Astro and Planetary SciencePhysics and Astronomy4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
INSPECCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.8Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2023
- 0.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.43LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- h-index
- 5OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.83OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 17LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 349,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 42 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 | 17 | 3 |
| 2025 | 19 | 19 | 44 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 30 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
135 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 95 days – 164 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 11 days (33 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 141 days
- Sample
- 33 articles with submission and acceptance dates (38 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 26 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 26 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | EUR 1,140 / USD 1,520 / GBP 1,040 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,520 / EUR 1,140 / GBP 1,040 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | EUR 1,140 / USD 1,520 / GBP 1,040 / EUR 1,790 / USD 2,090 / GBP 1,490 | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted14
- brief reportWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- case studyWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- commentComment articles can focus on policy, science and society, or purely scientific issues. They should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and should be…Length not stated
- data noteWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- full research articleWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- matters arisingMatters Arising articles are interesting and timely scientific or academic comments and clarifications on original research papers published in the journal.Length not stated
- methodologyMethodologies should present a new experimental or computational method, test or procedure. The method described may either be completely new, or may offer a be…Length not stated
- original paperWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- original research paperWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- perspectiveA Perspective is a scholarly review and discussion of the primary research literature that does not meet the criteria for a review article because: the scope is…Length not stated
- registered reportRegistered Reports are a publication format in which the research question and the quality of methodology are peer reviewed before the data are collected and an…Length not stated
- researchResearch articles present new scientific results within the scope of the journal that have not been published previously and are not being considered for public…Length not stated
- research articleWhen you first submit in Snapp you will need to choose the correct article type.This journal accepts the following article types: Research Research articles pre…Length not stated
- reviewReview articles provide critical accounts and comprehensive surveys of topics of major current interest within the scope of the journal.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- Data availability
Data availability statement required Model summary
All authors must include a data availability statement in their submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Step 4 - Understand your copyright
If your submission is accepted for publication, you will need to sign a licence agreement with Springer Nature to allow us to publish your article. According to this agreement:authors of articles published in this journal retain the copyright of their articles.authors grant Springer Nature a licence to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.authors retain full re-use rig…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Discover Space, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top Did you find what you were looking for? Share feedback.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Step 3 - Understand the peer review policy
Single-anonymous peer review procedure Model summary
This journal follows a single-anonymous peer review procedure, where the reviewers are aware of the names and affiliations of the authors, but the reviewer reports provided to authors are anonymous. Peer review process All manuscripts undergo technical checks upon submission. Manuscripts that pass technical checks undergo suitability checks by our in-house editorial team. Eligible manuscripts are …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- ISSN
- 2948-295X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Discover Space
What CAS zone is Discover Space in?
In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Discover Space?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.8 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 1.5, h-index 5.
How long does peer review take at Discover Space?
Based on the dates recorded on 33 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 135 days (interquartile range 95–164 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Discover Space?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: Author–date; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Discover Space?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Discover Space is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists INSPEC, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Discover Space open access, and what is the APC?
Discover Space is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,520.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-24). Last updated: .