More than 300 participants gathered in Paris from 25 to 27 March 2025 for the IAF Spring Meetings. Throughout the three-day event discussions took place in preparations for the IAF’s upcoming activities and major events.
The IAF Spring Meetings commenced with the IDEA Day, dedicated to fostering diversity in the space sector. The morning kicked off with a panel discussion titled “Voices of Excellence: Organizations Leading the Way in Diversity”, moderated by IAF Vice President for Diversity, Mishaal Ashemimry. This engaging session featured Nikol Koleva, SGAC Executive Director, and Amal Albinali, IAF Vice President for Education and Workforce Development. The panelists shared their experience and key lessons learned in fostering diverse and equitable workplaces. The discussion also explored the evolving role of leadership in driving cultural change and the impact of diversity on innovation and workforce sustainability. During the lunch session, IAF VP for Diversity Initiatives Mishaal Ashemimry unveiled the key findings of the 2024 IAF Diversity Survey. It provided IAF members with a valuable opportunity to reflect on their diversity practices, assess their current situations, and set goals for the future.
The global interest in space is reaching new heights as the upcoming 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney builds on the remarkable success of last year’s event in Milan. This year’s abstracts submissions are quite spectacular, with nearly 6,400 abstracts from 103 countries set to fuel fascinating discussions and innovations in the space sector! During the IAF Spring Meetings, the International Programme Committee (IPC) undertook the challenging task of selecting the most outstanding abstracts from the numerous submissions received. The final selection results will be available by mid-April 2025.
The Call for Special Sessions received 110 Special Session proposals – an astonishing achievement that showcases the incredible enthusiasm within our space community. The IPC Steering Group has selected 18 sessions all in alignment with the IAC 2025 theme: “Sustainable Space : Resilient Earth.”
Further, 45 interesting proposals were submitted for the IAC 2025 Plenary Programme. The IAF Bureau has, after careful consideration and discussion, approved 7 Plenaries and 2 Highlights Lectures focusing on various topics ranging from space sustainability, exploration and environmental challenges.
With the 76th IAC in Sydney already shaping up to be a great event, Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency, encouraged attendance to the IAC set to take place from 29 September – 3 October 2025. He mentioned that, although Australia may seem a far destination for many it is well worth the travel “I am looking forward to seeing you all in Sydney for IAC 2025; Australia is not just a destination, but it is a launchpad for ideas and future partnerships”.
Alongside the preparations for IAC 2025, the IAF, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is advancing plans for the IAF Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2025). This highly anticipated event will take place in New Delhi, India, from 7–9 May 2025 and will focus on the theme “Reaching New Worlds: A Space Exploration Renaissance“. GLEX 2025 IPC Co-Chair, Pascale Ehrenfreund, emphasized that the global space ecosystem today is very vibrant and GLEX in New Delhi will be the perfect place to take stock of the recent developments and undertake an outlook to the future achievements of space exploration.
The IAF Global Networking Forum (GNF) kicked off with a presentation from Blue Origin’s Commercial Director for Europe, Logan Ware, who shared insights on New Glenn’s first flight, its capabilities, mission outcomes, and the program’s future developments. Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), presented the ESA Strategy 2040 during his session at the IAF GNF. His address outlined five strategic goals, emphasizing climate protection, Europe’s role in the new era of space exploration in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), around and on the Moon, and toward Mars, as well as global leadership in the evolving space economy.
At the IAF Spring Meetings the Contract for the 78th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2027) has been officially signed between IAF and the European Space Foundation (ESF), which will be hosting the IAC from 27 September to 1 October 2027 in Poznań, Poland. The Contract was signed by Łukasz Wilczyński, President & Founder of the European Space Foundation and the IAF President Clay Mowry.
Further expanding the Federation’s global outreach, the IAF Global Conference on Climate Change (GLOC 2026) will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 2-4 June 2026, bringing a renewed focus on climate action through space applications.
Looking further into next year, IAC 2026 promises to be another exciting congress bringing the IAC to the beautiful Turkish riviera. It will be held in Antalya, Türkiye on 5 – 9 October 2026, hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA). Arif Karabeyoğlu, IAC 2026 IPC Co-Chair, mentioned the importance for Türkiye to host an IAC and the impact it will have on its future space ambitions.
With these significant milestones ahead, the IAF remains committed to fostering global collaboration and Connecting @ll Space People for a Sustainable Future.
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