Plan your sessions at the IAC!

The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is the largest space conference, this year being held in the German free city of Bremen. Held from 1-5 October, it will be an intense week during which all space players will gather to discuss the advancement and progress of space in its various forms. IAC 2018 will involve everyone offering a rich programme of Plenaries, Highlight Lectures, Technical lectures as well as a Global Networking Forum and many social events abundant in networking opportunities.

Here we bring attention to the key points of interest:

Plenary sessions

The IAC Plenary Programme features an exciting selection of high-level Plenary Sessions, Highlight Lectures and Late-breaking News events. This includes a session by the ‘Heads of Agencies‘ and ‘How to live and work on ISS, Moon and Mars‘.

Technical programme

The IAC 2018 Technical Programme will bring together a tremendous and rich diversity of authors, researchers and speakers from academia, industry, and government all over the world to share ideas and latest research outcomes on space, offering more opportunities for networking, learning and discovery than ever before.

Here we highlight the key components of the technical programme:

• The Technical Sessions (TS) consist of more than 2,000 oral presentations logically grouped into several concurrent sessions with major categories in Science & Exploration, Applications & Operations, Technology, Infrastructure, Space & Society.
• For the first time, the IAC Technical Programme will include Special Sessions (SpS). The Special Sessions will offer key insight into new and emerging topics of particular interest to the space community that may also cut across and beyond disciplines traditionally represented.
• This year, the Interactive Presentations (IP) Session will offer a new platform to engage congress attendees like never before as all presentations will be required to feature an interactive element.
• Each day of the 2018 Technical Programme will feature Keynote Lectures given by world-renowned experts on exciting topics in space.
• The Global Technical Sessions (GTS) are designed to offer a modern and eclectic platform at the IAC for sharing technical content to an open minded audience on-site but also online! Oriented towards young and talented space professionals, it allows for sharing of information on a global scale with presenters and audience both at the IAC venue and online at their home/work/university locations.

Global networking forum

The IAF Global Networking Forum seeks to foster the interaction and the discussion with small & medium-sized enterprises, R&D institutions, universities and larger organisations. This year it includes more than 45 Sessions on topics such as Industry, Society & Education, Future Challenges and Development in the space sector.

Associated events

Among many associated events at IAC 2018:

• The 26th Workshop on Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits: “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure for Development (3Is4D)” will focus on the role of industries as key player to offer innovation and infrastructure needed for sustainable development. In particular, the Workshop will be a forum to share experiences of leaders in space industries, for networking amongst decision-makers in governments and opportunities for start-ups and emerging space related business in developing countries.
• Space Generation Congress (SGC) 2018 is SGAC’s annual meeting in support of the United Nations (UN) Programme on Space Applications. Top university students and young professionals with a passion for space will travel from all around the globe to attend three days of the 17th SGC.
• IAF 9th International Meeting for Members of Parliaments (MoP) offers an opportunity for parliamentarians from governing and non-governing parties to discuss the potential of current and future space technologies to deal with key topics of major and global interest.
• The IAC Educator Professional Development Programme is designed for primary and secondary educators to teach about a variety of science-rich space contexts that they could bring into their classrooms to enhance learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
• Young Professional Networking Event aims to gather ideas and proposals from early career employees in the international space community and provide IAF member organisations with greater knowledge, insights, and perspectives that can help them better develop and empower the next generation of space program employees.