Across the Congress
The movers and shakers of the global space sector are in Sydney to attend the 76th edition of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC).
The five-day Congress will be an astronomical demonstration of ideas, partnerships and solutions that will shape space exploration and the future of our sector.
For Australia, this prestigious space event will present a generational opportunity to showcase the rapid progress and potential of our national space industry.
IAC 2025 Space Week, which is running alongside the Congress, will also be an opportunity for the Australian public to launch themselves into space through a range of free, immersive experience.
On this page, we'll recap the day's highlights and bring to you our visual coverage from the ground.
Day 1
The space enthusiasm on opening day of the Congress was stratospheric. Thank you to the thousands of delegates who have travelled near and far.
On Day 1, we witnessed an unforgettable opening act, Australia's vibrant space ecosystem and the Heads of eight Agencies putting the spotlight on the sustainable use of space.
Key moments
Listed below are some of the main headlines and summaries of how the day unfolded.
Global collaboration strengthened
• A new chapter for European partnerships. The Australian Government announced a mandate to begin negotiations on a Cooperative Agreement between the European Space Agency and Australia.
• A treaty-level Space Framework Agreement between Australia and the United States has also been agreed. This will open the door to new opportunities for government, businesses and researchers to collaborate on joint projects with NASA and other American partners.
• The Artemis Accords Principals Meeting convened signatory nations to reaffirm commitments to peaceful lunar exploration and interoperability.
Strategic dialogue among space leaders
Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo co-moderated the One-to-One with Heads of Agencies. This flagship session featured space thought leaders from the US, Europe, Japan, India, Canada and China.
First Nations speakers from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada deliver landmark session
The first-of-its-kind Host Plenary explored how Indigenous perspectives can inform sustainable space practices and foster co-discovery between Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science.
Snapshots
Click on the images below to read their brief captions.
IAC 2025 Space Week
Running alongside the Congress, a city-wide IAC 2025 Space Week will be held, where the public can participate in a range of immersive free events.
