Australia sits alongside the United States, China, Italy and Germany with the second-highest number of space research abstracts and their authors chosen to feature at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), where 80-100 nations are expected to gather for IAC 2025 in Sydney.
IAC 2025 Sydney runs from September 29 to October 3 at the International Convention Centre, Sydney. Up to 10,000 space and STEM cross-industry professionals, global space agency representatives, students and academics, government leaders and policymakers, entrepreneurs and space-adjacent industry innovators are expected at the five-day exclusive ticketed event hosted by the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and co-hosted by the NSW Government and the Australian Space Agency.
Of the 4,100 research abstracts chosen by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) to feature at IAC 2025 Sydney, 410 abstracts (10%) are from Australia, second only to the US, which authored about 13% (548 abstracts), and ahead of major space powers China (347 abstracts, 8.3%), Italy (315 abstracts, 7.5%) and Germany (256 abstracts, 6.1%).
From technical deep-dives on space technologies to social, cultural and environmental implications for a resilient Earth and sustainable space, the range of finalist topics reflects the diversity of Australia’s space ecosystem.
Selected topics cover research in quantum physics, optical communication, cybersecurity, intergalactic law, and advancements in extravehicular activity on Mars and the Moon, for example, along with medical and ethical challenges of sustaining health in spaceflight, agricultural strategies for sustainable food resources, managing the psychology of isolation, climatology, human rights and intellectual property law in space, and much more.
Lisa Vitaris, Director of IAC 2025 Sydney for event host, Space Industry Association Australia, says it’s unprecedented for Australia to feature so strongly at such an internationally diverse and respected space event as IAC on the merit of its ideas and accomplishments.
“The Indo-Pacific is strategically attractive to our global peers,” she said. “Such strong representation from Australia speaks to our growing sophistication, influence and ambition as a space nation. It’s a privilege for SIAA to host this historic Congress featuring Australia’s best thinkers, innovators and achievers. We’re truly shaping the future of sustainable space exploration and resilient Earth solutions in collaboration with worldwide peers and industry innovators.”
This year’s IAC actively facilitates commercial partnership opportunities and knowledge-sharing between traditional aerospace and adjacent-space industries such as mining, energy, agriculture, education, health, smart cities, and emergency services.
“It’s heartening to see so many abstracts already reflect our broader ambition to take a holistic view across space, society and culture,” adds Vitaris. “The topics we’re exploring at IAC 2025 Sydney are not just technical deep-dives – they’ll spark real-world answers to some of our most pressing national and global challenges.”
The five-day premier space congress is expected to attract more than double the attendance of the last IAC hosted in Australia, which drew 4,500 delegates to Adelaide in 2017.
MySecurity Media are media partners to IAC 2025
