Antalya: Hosted in Antalya, southern Trkiye, this year's International Astronautical Congress will offer the country an important opportunity to showcase its space potential and expand its international connections, according to the executive director of the Paris-based International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
According to Anadolu Agency, Christian Feichtinger, the executive director of the IAF, emphasized the significance of the event for Trkiye's space ambitions. "We want to give Trkiye the opportunity to showcase its potential, to connect its space ecosystem with the global, international space community, and thus help Trkiye to further develop into an important, even more important actor in space," Feichtinger stated.
The congress, coordinated by Trkiye's Industry and Technology Ministry, will be hosted by the Turkish Space Agency and co-hosted by SAHA Istanbul from October 5 to 9 at the NEST Convention Center in Antalya. Feichtinger highlighted that the IAF was established in 1951 to connect members of the space community during the Cold War and has since grown to become the world's leading space advocacy organization, with a network of 604 member organizations across 82 countries.
Feichtinger noted Trkiye's leading role in the rapidly growing space region, following the 2023 congress in Baku, Azerbaijan, and ahead of the 2028 event in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He acknowledged Trkiye's ambitious space policy, which already saw the first Turkish astronaut fly to space and includes a Moon program. The IAC 2026 has received a record of over 8,000 abstract submissions from more than 100 countries, alongside unprecedented early registration figures, highlighting both the congress' rising global profile and Trkiye's growing appeal.
The congress will feature a meeting of international government ministers and lawmakers, as well as the IAF Global Space Leaders Summit, bringing together more than 50 heads of space agencies. Around 30 international astronauts are expected to attend, providing an opportunity for the public to engage with prominent figures who have experienced space firsthand.
Feichtinger urged young scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and students in Trkiye to seize the opportunity to participate in the congress. Participants will have the chance to meet leading industry figures, human resources executives, space agency heads, and astronauts. Researchers whose abstracts have been accepted will present their work to an international audience.
Feichtinger also praised 'Turquoise,' the loggerhead sea turtle selected as the official mascot of IAC 2026, for representing the spirit of Trkiye and Antalya. He congratulated Trkiye on its recent signing of the Artemis Accords, underscoring the country's commitment to advancing space exploration.
The Artemis Accords, established in 2020 by NASA, the US State Department, and seven founding countries, set principles for international cooperation in space, including peaceful exploration, sharing scientific data, providing assistance when needed, and protecting historically significant sites and artifacts. Feichtinger believes Trkiye's participation in the accords reflects its serious ambitions in space exploration and its desire to be part of the global endeavor to return humans to the Moon and eventually reach Mars.