The 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026), the space sector’s largest annual gathering, takes place from 5 to 9 October at the NEST Congress and Exhibition Centre in Belek, Antalya. Organised each year in a different country by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), founded in 1951, the congress is being held in Türkiye for the first time in its history of more than 75 years. It is hosted by the Turkish Space Agency and co-hosted by the SAHA Istanbul defence, aviation and space cluster, under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
The IAF brings together 604 members from 82 countries, including space agencies, companies, universities and research institutions; the congress typically attracts more than 6,000 participants. According to Türkiye’s official tourism site, registered participants this year exceed 10,000. Daily Sabah reported that the organisers announced an all-time record in paper submissions. Participating organisations include NASA, the European Space Agency, the German Space Agency (DLR), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the space agencies of Spain, Ukraine, Egypt and Kenya, Airbus Defence and Space and the UK Space Agency. Turkish satellite companies such as Plan-S will also present papers.
Ahead of the congress, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and the IAF held their 33rd joint workshop on the space economy for emerging nations at the same venue on 3 and 4 October. The Space Generation Congress for early-career professionals also accompanies the event. At an Amazon Web Services panel, senior officials from NASA, the Norwegian Space Agency, the US Office of Space Commerce and DLR are due to speak. The five-day programme includes international exhibition areas, high-level protocol sessions, company presentations and academic sessions, with this year’s emphasis on next-generation propulsion, green satellite design and reusable architectures.
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır chairs the local organising committee; in August he hosted a reception for foreign ambassadors at the Ankara Ethnography Museum to present the congress. Türkiye frames the event as an opportunity for the goals of its National Space Programme, raising space awareness and developing the space ecosystem. The next congress will be held in Poznań, Poland, in 2027.
The 5 to 9 October 2026 dates, the NEST Congress Centre, the first edition in Türkiye, TUA as host and SAHA Istanbul as co-host: the official IAC 2026 website; the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI); Unmanned Systems Technology, August 2026. The 1951 founding, 604 members from 82 countries, more than 10,000 registered participants and the National Space Programme goals: the GoTürkiye official site. More than 6,000 annual participants: Space Generation Advisory Council and Unmanned Systems Technology. The submissions record, Kacır's ambassadors' reception and the ministry's coordination: Daily Sabah, August 2026. The list of participating organisations: the congress technical programme (PDF published via the Ministry of Education). The UNOOSA-IAF workshop, the Space Generation Congress and the AWS panel speakers: Space Agenda, 29 September 2026. The emphasis on propulsion and green satellites: the official IAC 2026 website. Poznań 2027: Wikipedia, International Astronautical Congress.
Participant numbers differ between sources: more than 6,000 in general descriptions, more than 10,000 registrations on Türkiye's official site; both are given here with attribution. The submissions record is the organisers' claim and has not been independently verified.
Which heads of state or ministers will attend, which projects Türkiye plans to announce and the congress's economic impact on Antalya are not covered here.
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