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The 77th International Astronautical Congress concluded Thursday in Antalya, Türkiye, after bringing together participants from 111 countries, with Geneva selected to host the global space gathering in 2029.
The congress, organized by the International Astronautical Federation, or IAF, was held Oct. 5-9 at the NEST Congress Center under the coordination of Türkiye’s Industry and Technology Ministry and co-hosted by the Turkish Space Agency, or TUA, and SAHA Istanbul. Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency served as the event’s global communications partner.
The event was held under the theme “The World Needs More Space,” focusing on the peaceful use of space.
IAF President Gabriella Arrigo said more than 7,500 participants from 111 countries attended the congress, while organizers said overall participation approached 10,000. Public Day events brought the total number of visitors to nearly 20,000.
Arrigo announced during the closing ceremony that Geneva had been selected to host the International Astronautical Congress in 2029 following a vote at the second session of the IAF General Assembly.
Houston in the U.S. and Barcelona, Spain, had also been candidates to host the 2029 congress.
The event will next be held in Poznan, Poland, in 2027, followed by Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2028.
A contract for the 2027 congress was signed between the IAF and Poland during the ceremony, followed by the traditional handover of the IAF flag from Türkiye to Poland.
The 2027 congress will be held under the theme “One Space, Shared Future.”
European Space Foundation President Lukasz Wilczynski said the theme reflected the need to exchange ideas across borders to make people’s lives better and safer.
Arrigo said the Antalya congress included 250 exhibiting companies and partner exhibitors and was supported by six sponsors.
She said 51 new organizations joined the IAF during the event, bringing its membership to more than 621 organizations across 84 countries.
“Today, we have brought together thousands of people from all around the world in Antalya,” Arrigo said, referring to exchanges on new discoveries, technologies and future goals.
She thanked the Turkish Space Agency and other hosts for their support, dedication and hospitality.
TUA President Yusuf Kirac said more than 8,300 paper abstracts were submitted to the congress, which he described as a meeting point for knowledge and cooperation.
He said more than 10,000 visitors attended Public Day alone.
IAF Executive Director Christian Feichtinger said the annual congress demonstrated the importance of relationships across the global space sector.
He announced that the IAF’s traditional spring meetings would be held in Paris from March 23-25, 2027.
The first Global Space and Ocean Conference will also be held in the Maldives from May 3-5, 2027, he said.
The final day included a panel titled “The Future Starts Here: Technology, Space and the Next Generation,” featuring Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir and Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar.
The panel was moderated by Anadolu Agency Chairman and Director General Serdar Karagoz.
The documentary “Salda: A Bridge to the Red Planet,” produced by AA Productions, was also screened during Public Day.
Visitors explored the “Future Space” area, introduced at the congress for the first time, which featured next-generation space technologies, simulations and interactive experiences.
The “Anadoludakiler” exhibition showcasing Anatolia’s cultural and production heritage was also presented, while children attended a science demonstration featuring experiments.
Limousine versions of Togg’s T10X model were also used at the event and attracted attention from visitors.
IAF Vice President for Honors and Awards Asanda Ntisana announced the federation’s 2026 award recipients during the ceremony.
Prof. Franco Bernelli Zazzera received the 2026 Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal.
Huadong Guo, director of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, and Carlo Mirra, head of business relations at the European Space Agency, were inducted into the IAF Hall of Fame.
Guo said the honor belonged to his team and stressed support for the peaceful and inclusive use of outer space, while Mirra described the recognition as one of the proudest moments of his professional life.
Awards and certificates were also presented in the Young Pioneer, Young Space Leaders, Emerging Space Leaders and student competition categories.
The congress, officially opened in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, concluded with the Public Day program.
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