Antalya:An Azerbaijani delegation is actively participating in the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) held in Antalya.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Azerbaijan ranks third in terms of the number of reports submitted to the congress, with 317 applications, following T¼rkiye and China. The congress, a major event in the space industry, sees the gathering of space agency leaders, astronauts, scientists, engineers, industry executives, and policymakers to deliberate on the future of space exploration.

This year's congress has attracted a record 8,330 research abstracts from 108 countries, with over 4,000 presentations planned across more than 180 technical sessions. The event, taking place at the NEST Congress and Exhibition Center in Belek, spans five days and concludes on October 9. This marks the first time the congress is held in T¼rkiye.

With the theme 'The World Needs More Space,' the congress expects to host more than 10,000 participants from over 100 countries. Organized annually by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), it is renowned as the world's largest annual space gathering, combining scientific and technical sessions with exhibitions, business meetings, and high-level discussions on various topics, including lunar exploration, satellites, artificial intelligence, space security, sustainability, and international cooperation.

T¼rkiye is organizing the congress under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, with the Turkish Space Agency serving as the host and SAHA, a cluster of the Turkish defense and aerospace industry, as co-host. Anadolu is the event's global communications partner.

The congress follows T¼rkiye's signing of the Artemis Accords at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, on August 31, becoming the 71st signatory to the international framework that outlines principles for peaceful, transparent, and sustainable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.