Every year, the International Astronautical Federation with the support of the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), holds the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) which is hosted by one of the national society members of the IAF.
They are an annual meeting of the actors in the discipline of space, and are generally held in late September or early October. They consist of plenary sessions, lectures and meetings. The IAC is attended by the agency heads and senior executives of the world’s space agencies. As the Second World War came to an end, the United States and the Soviet Union held different and competing political worldviews. As the Cold War began to take shape, communication between the two countries became less frequent. Both countries turned their focus to achieving military superiority over the other. Six years after the Iron Curtain fell, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) was formed by scientists from all over Europe in the field of space research in order to collaborate once more. During the years of the Space Race, the IAF was one of the few forums where members of both East and West Europe could meet during the annual International Astronautical Congresses.
The 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) will see the arrival in Milan of over 8,000 experts from industry, research and the institutions and place Italy at the heart of the international debate on the use of Space to support sustainability. Under the motto “Responsible Space for Sustainability”, the intention of the IAC 2024 is to highlight the importance of Space as an environment that must be kept secure and open to exploration, peaceful use and international co-operation by present and future generations in the interests of the planet and all nations, regardless of their level of development and without discrimination of any kind. With this aim more than 8,000 experts from space agencies, companies, research centres and associations from across the world will meet at IAC 2024 – organized with the contribution of AIM Group International – in the Milano Congress Center (Allianz MiCo), Europe’s largest conference venue. There are currently just under 8,000 satellites in orbit, around 5,000 of which are operational, and this number is set to grow significantly in the next few years.
Ever more countries and public and private players are becoming actively involved in the space economy. The Earth’s orbit is nonetheless a limited resource, and any overcrowding involves risks in terms of security, light pollution and the availability of data and services provided by space technologies. In the economy, industry, agriculture, transport, energy, finance, urban development, communications, environmental monitoring, and security, space systems are a fundamental tool in the creation of a more digital, green and sustainable future. They are likewise vital for the functioning of society, the economy and global trade. Italy is at the forefront in the challenge of using Space responsibly in the name of sustainability. It is one of the few countries in the world with a complete Space economy supply chain: from manufacturing, through new applications development and satellite services management, to propulsion and launch systems. The country’s expertise can be found in the research sector and in companies of all sizes, from start-ups and SMEs to large-scale industry, supported by the institutions.
Links:
International Astronautical Congress
World Space Week 2024
