International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2026

About International Astronautical Congress

International Astronautical Congress is a congress and exhibition scheduled for 5-9 October 2026 at NEST Congress and Exhibition Center in Antalya, Türkiye. Its scope brings global space policy, space research, commercial space and international cooperation into one programme, giving the event a clear primary identity rather than treating every adjacent aerospace or space subject as equivalent. International Astronautical Congress is built around exhibitor displays, sector meetings and technical and commercial conversations, which clarifies what the event actually offers. For space agencies, researchers and aerospace companies, IAC offers specialist subjects in the context of the organisations, systems and decisions that use them.

International Astronautical Congress also creates useful links between global space policy and space research, two areas that often need to be considered together in real projects. At International Astronautical Congress, the venue and programme should be read together because its congress and exhibition format determines how the day is organised. That International Astronautical Congress combination gives prospective attendees a practical basis for deciding whether the event matches their work before committing time or travel.

Event history and organiser

International Astronautical Congress is presented as a continuing event family, with International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2026 forming its 2026 edition. International Astronautical Federation IAF is named in the current event information as the organisation responsible for, or directly connected with, International Astronautical Congress. For International Astronautical Congress, the year is the clearest edition marker and separates the current programme from archived material for earlier events. Across IAC editions, the stable identity comes from global space policy, space research and commercial space, while dates, venue arrangements and access details remain edition-specific. International Astronautical Congress should therefore be understood through both its continuing sector role and the practical information published for 2026. International Astronautical Federation IAF's relationship with International Astronautical Congress identifies who sets the programme context and where attendees should look for authoritative updates. The IAC edition at NEST Congress and Exhibition Center in Antalya, Türkiye continues that identity while giving the programme a specific geographic and institutional setting.

Topics and themes

International Astronautical Congress groups its subject matter around global space policy, space research and commercial space. For global space policy at IAC, the themes below explain practical relationships with the format and intended audience rather than repeating isolated terms.

• Global space policy: At IAC, puts technical capability alongside the rules, responsibilities and risk decisions that shape real institutional and operational choices.
• Space research: At IAC, gives specialists a shared context for comparing evidence, analytical methods, tools and the limits behind reported conclusions.
• Commercial space: At IAC, examines how organisations source capability, form partnerships and move technical products or services towards operational use.
• International cooperation: At IAC, places international cooperation within the programme so that space agencies can connect specialist work with wider sector.
• Space exhibition: At IAC, places space exhibition within the programme so that space agencies can connect specialist work with wider sector.

Who should attend?

International Astronautical Congress is principally relevant to space agencies, researchers and aerospace companies. At IAC, these groups can use the exhibitor displays and sector meetings to place global space policy alongside space research and identify programme areas closest to their responsibilities. Policy leaders can assess International Astronautical Congress from a different angle, using its themes to understand where their work intersects with the main professional community. Students and young professionals may also find a good fit where the programme addresses commercial space. International Astronautical Congress is less useful to people seeking unrelated general-interest content because its value comes from the defined focus on global space policy.

Practical information

International Astronautical Congress is scheduled for 5-9 October 2026 at NEST Congress and Exhibition Center in Antalya, Türkiye. Before attending International Astronautical Congress, use its official site to confirm the final programme, opening or session times, registration status and any access conditions. Travel planning for International Astronautical Congress should include separate checks of venue directions and local transport, especially when the site is outside the city centre.