International Astronautical Federation

News

Connecting Space people

Message from the President



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60th Anniversary Our diamond jubilee A very special award…

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Members Welcome our new members Membership of the IAF Member news Space Community Focus on Israël

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Preparing for the IAC at COPUOS African Leadership Conference Ariane marks a new milestone…

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En route to IAC 2011 Africa Space Day Taking a pre Congress look at Cape Town Final Contract signed IAC Registration

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People Interview with Sandile B. Malinga

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Message from the President The year 2011, which marks the 60th anniversary of our Federation, had a good start. In January, a small IAF delegation travelled to Cape Town for the official site visit. The result was very positive. For me it was the first trip to this marvellous country, and the impression was overwhelming. The scenery is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the city is vibrant. I really felt safe in the environment of our Congress venue at all times, embedded between the historical city centre and the lively waterfront area, all within walking distance. The Local Organising Committee, together with its PCO, gave a convincing presentation of the facilities and the programme. We had fruitful conversations with government representatives assuring us the strong support of the local authorities. We left Cape Town under the impression that an excellent Congress is under preparation in an exciting environment. I am sure you will enjoy your trip to South Africa. The annual convention of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna was an excellent opportunity to present IAF and its activities to representatives of 96 nations of the world. At a small reception organised jointly with the South African Embassy we introduced the upcoming IAC in Cape Town and invited all countries to attend. We used the presence of many African nations for an intensive communication and cooperation in preparation of the all-African aspects of the 62nd IAC. A joint meeting JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 with organisers and members of the African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (ALC), which We hope you find the newsletter will take place in Mombasa during the week preceding our Congress, interesting, and please remember ensured a smooth coordination and an efficient transfer of results to that you can always find out more at http://www.iafastro.org the IAC. A meeting with representatives of numerous African countries was held to inform delegations about the IAC and the opportunities to actively participate. This way we intensified the efforts to ensure an allIAF Secretariat African ownership of our Congress in Cape Town. 94 bis, Avenue de Suffren Prof. Dr Berndt Feuerbacher President, International Astronautical Federation Volume MMXI • Issue 1 • January / February 2011 Page 1

75015 Paris, France Phone: 33 (0)1 45 67 42 60 Fax: 33 (0)1 42 73 21 20

60th Anniversary Our diamond jubilee After the Second World War, the former allies of the United States and the Soviet Union moved in very different directions, each vying to militarily outwit the other. Huge strides had already been made in rocketry but, in the tense Cold War atmosphere, pioneers found themselves in an increasingly polarised world, closing down most of the dialogue between the rival superpowers. So, six years after the Iron Curtain descended, scientists working in the field of space research founded the International Astronautical Federation in an attempt to re-establish that dialogue. In its early years, the Federation and its annual International Astronautical Congresses were one of the few forums where East and West could meet during the Space Race. In the open scientific forum offered by the Congresses, shared knowledge leaped forward. As an international non-governmental and non-profit organisation, the IAF encouraged the advancement of knowledge about space and the development and application of assets for the benefit of humanity. The Federation has become the world’s foremost space advocacy organisation. Its 205 members include all leading agencies, space companies, societies, associations and institutes worldwide. The International Astronautical Federation marks its 60th Anniversary in 2011. Through the years, we have continued to witness history through the remarkable achievements of our member organisations. We have seen our membership grow substantially as we have integrated new and emerging space nations into our network, initiated activities, and teamed the actors of the community on an increasingly global scale. We are tremendously proud of our achievements in supporting international cooperation over the last

six decades, and remain hosts to one of the largest worldwide networks of space experts and decision-makers. In order to commemorate this occasion, the IAF will be holding a celebration on 22 March 2011 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. As this celebration will equally honour the 50 years of Human Spaceflight and recognise our member organisations achievements, IAF Presidents past and present, astronauts, cosmonauts, and taikonauts will meet with young people on stage for an exciting journey through six decades of space history, and a fresh look into the future. We will be joined on stage by Sergei Krikalev (Roscosmos), Steven L. Smith (NASA), Robert Brent Thirsk (CSA),

Michel Tognini (ESA), Koichi Wakata (JAXA) and Zhai Zhigang (CMSE). Additionally the COSPAR President and former Italian Space Agency President, Giovanni Bignami will speak. At the ceremony we will be launching our Follow The Flag campaign during which the IAF flag will be seen both up in space and all around the world. Follow The Flag will see people from every continent take part in an exciting event which will culminate at this year’s International Astronautical Congress in Cape Town during October.

A very special award... The IAF has been at the heart of space for sixty years now and the Federation would like you to help to find us a worthy winner for a special one-time IAF award. This will recognise an outstanding achievement in the area of “Space Applications for Human Benefit”. The IAF 60th Anniversary Award will be presented at a ceremony in Cape Town. As long as a project can show measurable benefit to humanity, all organisations and individuals inside or outside the IAF are eligible. However, nominations may only made by an IAF member organisation. Please send your letter of nomination and documentation describing the project and its effects on human benefits before 7 March 2011 to [email protected].

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Members Welcome our new members

16 new organisations joined the International Astronautical Federation in 2010. These were formally approved by the IAF’s General Assembly when it met in Prague during the 61st IAC.

Last time we featured some of those new members in the newsletter: the Department of Space Studies at the University of North Dakota in the USA, GISTDA from Thailand, GomSpace Aps from Denmark,LCRSSS from Libya, MT Aerospace AG of Germany and VEGA from the United Kingdom.

INVAP is our newest representitive from Argentina - one of the founding member countries of the International Astronautical Federation. INVAP is a company devoted to the design and construction of complex technological systems.

In this edition, we continue to feature more of the newest members of our community.

The space sector is one of its scientific focus areas and the company has designed and built low orbit Earth observation satellites as part of this activity. INVAP has a close relationship with the Argentine Space Commission (CONAE), an institution with which it has jointly accomplished major projects. Internationally, the company has a relationship with NASA.

We were very pleased to see organisations join from new space-faring and space-aspirant nations. A9C Capital from Bahrain not only represents a new member country but a new sector for the IAF - the space venture capital community. The company has an international network of specialised scientists and technology partners to identify and bring the most promising technology ideas to market. The specialised sector includes spacecraft applications, vehicle manufacturing, earth observation, satellite communication and satellite navigation. Our new member from Belgium, BELSPO, is the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office. The Office is responsible for the preparation, execution and evaluation science policy for the federal government of Belgium. BELSPO is active in space research and applications. It manages the Belgian participation in programmes and activities of the European Space Agency and other national/ international organisations in the field. It is also active in educational activities and the popularisation of space research

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is located in Alabama, United States. UAH is known for its engineering and science programnes, including astrophysics, atmospheric science and aerospace engineering. UAH has a history of cooperation with NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center. In conjunction with helping NASA reach its goals, UAH makes NASA’s research and technology available to all of Alabama’s colleges and universities. The National Space Science and Technology Center is on the UAH campus. The Lithuanian Space Association (LSA) implements programmes in Lithuania in the field of R&D and innovation, carried out on behalf of the the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Economy. Lithuania and the European Space Agency signed a cooperation agreement last year and the country’s

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National Programme on Development of Research, Technologies and Innovation in the Space Sector for 2010-2015 is aimed to creating and improving opportunities for business and science in space-related research and technological development.

Membership of the IAF The International Astronautical Federation welcomes all organisations who participate in the space sector to become members. Amongst membership benefits are: • Discount rates on IAC registration and exhibition • Access to a global network of potential business partners experts and decision makers • Free access to all IAC Papers • Visibility in IAF publications (website, newsletter, IAC) • Eligibility for participation in IAF administrative and technical committees • Access to Members only Business Forum • Eligibility to submit a proposal to host an IAC To apply for membership of the IAF, please visit: www.iafastro.org/join

This newsletter issue is brought to you with the kind support of our member organisation

Members Member News Following a week-long intensive learning programme at Andøya Rocket Range in Norway, 11 Canadian students joined their peers from Norway to successfully launch the third sounding rocket of the CaNoRock project - a partnership between the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Saskatchewan, the University of Oslo and Andøya Rocket Range. The project is part-sponsored by two IAF members - the Canadian Space Agency and the Andøya Rocket Range.

Virgin Galactic scored another successful drop test of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft. The high-altitude flight did not reach space, but was the fourth in a series of demonstration flights ahead of an actual suborbital spaceflight test.

NASA has selected 20 nanosatellites to fly as auxiliary cargo aboard rockets planned to launch in 2011 and 2012. The proposed CubeSats come from a secondary school, from universities across the United States, NASA field centres and Department of Defense organisations. The cubeshaped satellites are approximately 10

centimetres long and weigh less than a kilogram. The selections are from the second round of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. The satellites are expected to conduct technology demonstrations, educational research or science missions. The selected spacecraft are eligible for flight after final negotiations when an opportunity arises.

pursuing development of a national telecommunications satellite to carry civil and military payloads and also is investing in a system designed to remove expired satellites from orbit. The two missions are the Heinrich Hertz telecommunications satellite and the Deutsche Orbital Servicing Mission (DEOS).

Early 2011 has witnessed a series of agency cargo missions to the ISS. On 28 January, JAXA’s HTV2 successfully berthed to the ISS followed by the Roscosmos Progress M-09M two days later and finally the launch of ESA’s Keppler ATV mission on 17 February.

SSTL is planning to launch a mobile phone to see if such phones will function in the space environment. In the mission later in 2011, the phone will run Google’s Android operating system and it will be used to control a 30cm-long satellite, taking images of Earth. SSTL is looking at such solutions to lower the cost of spacecraft using off-the-shelf electronics. In the framework of the 6th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference (see separate report below in this newsletter), the European Space Agency signed a cooperation agreement with Israel. The chairman of the DLR executive board, Johann-Dietrich Woerner, said that the German government is

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The International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety has announced its Call for Papers for the 5th Space Safety Conference: “A Safer Space for a Safer World”, closing on 30 May 2011. The Conference will take place in Versailles, France between 17 – 19 October 2011. IAF members, the Canadian Space Agency, JAXA, ESA, CNES and NASA are sponsoring the Conference. For more information see http://www.congrex.nl/11a03/

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Space Community Focus on Israel As part of our regular visits to our members throughout the world, in late January IAF Executive Director Philippe Willekens took the opportunity of his invite to a regional conference, to see our Israeli members. Joining the Federation in 1958, the Israel Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics has been a longserving member for 53 years now. It brings together the aeronautics and astronautics community within the country, helping them to network with one another and smoothing cooperative relations with their fellow international organisations in these fields. It hosts an annual aerospace conference alongside symposia and lectures. Mr Willekens met with Mr Israel Zeierman, Member of the Society’s Board. After their meeting, Mr Willekens stated that it was a pleasure meeting with the Federation’s oldest members. Society members are highly valued by the Federation and during the discussion, the IAF Executive Director stressed the need to refresh the relationship between all IAF society and association members by defining

a convention stating our roles and responsibilities to each society. Also in Tel Aviv, the Executive Director met with Israel Aerospace Industries. Ltd. (IAI) “I paid a very interesting visit to MBT, their space systems section.” said Mr Willekens. “I was taken on a tour of the facility, visiting the clean room and got to see some fascinating hardware. I was especially interested to take a look at their satellite developments.” Driving the strategy of the country’s space development has been the role of the Israel Space Agency. Philippe Willekens met with Dr Zvi Kaplan, Director General of the Agency. Mr Willekens told Dr Kaplan that, amongst its many efforts, The IAF was pleased to increase the involvement of the Israeli space industry in the Federation’s activities.

Israel launched Ofeq 1 in 1988 with the Shavit launcher, affiliating Israel to the very exclusive club of seven countries who have launched a self developed satellite. Geographical constraints, as well as safety considerations have caused the Israeli space programme to focus on very small satellites, loaded with payloads of a very high degree of sophistication. In this area, IAI is currently developing a high volume, light satellite - just 300kg to 400kg.

One aspect of the trip was its timing to include the 6th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference, hosted by the Fisher Institute. The IAF had been invited by Dr Kaplan to take part in the opening ceremony. Ilan Ramon was the space shuttle payload specialist of STS-107, the fatal mission of Columbia, where he and six other crew members were killed in the re-entry accident. The Conference set up in his memory commemorates the Columbia crew but, was especially

There are three Israeli IAF members: an agency, a member from the aerospace sector and a professional society. Our oldest member there, the Israel Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics was established in 1951 and joined the Federation in 1958. Israel has a government body set up to promote and coordinate space activities: the Israel Space Agency which joined the IAF in 1996. We were pleased to welcome an industry member in 2000, Israel Aerospace Industries. Ltd. Mr Willekens and Arie Halsband,General Manager, IAI MBT Space Division

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Space Community of the IAF in this, its 60th anniversary year. He dwelled upon the input of Israel into world space in general and the Federation in particular and the role of young people in the future of the industry, Professor Daniel Herskowitz, Minister of Science & Technology spoke and stated that “what characterised space is infinity - it opens new discoveries.”

poignant on the 25th anniversary of the Challenger accident. Mr Willekens spoke about the history

Lori B. Garver, the NASA Deputy Administrator spoke about the current plans for NASA and its potential for the give input to private sector. 85% of NASA dollars was going to private industry so far but the future involved

Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA gave tribute to the accident victims. There was solidarity on the ISS - it respects no borders. Noting that nearly half of the audience were young people he addressed them with “Don’t let the world change you - you should change to world.” The IAF Executive Director additionally visited an impressive exhibition involving the Israeli Ramon Rafael and ELOP companies.

Photos © The Fisher Institute

Mr Willekens and Daniel Herskowitz, Minister of Science & Technology

“reaching new heights and revealing the unknown.”

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Space Community Preparing for the IAC at COPUOS Every February, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (S&T) of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) meets in Vienna, Austria. The role of S&T is to assist emerging countries in using space technology for development. It follows scientific and technical developments relating to space activities, technology and applications in order to provide technical information and advice to COPUOS Member States, international organisations and other United Nations offices. the IAF has been acting as observer for more than 30 years at the United Nations.

The IAF was represented once more at the annual COPUOS S&T meeting.

a youthful point of view to the African Space Leaders round table.

The programme for events leading up to the 62nd IAC in Cape Town and the Congress itself is starting to take shape, and a number of face-to-face meetings in Vienna took place.

The final activity the IAF was involved in was a briefing to the African delegates about preparations for Cape Town, introducing the activities bridging the African Leadership Conference and IAC 2011.

The UN/IAF Workshop, with the theme “Space for Human and Environmental Security” takes place immediately before the IAC and the planning for this is coming together. There will be special sessions in the workshop to discuss water, food, telemedicine and energy security subjects very vital to Africa. The Workshop is a heavily collaborative effort and many organisations have an important part this time: ESA, UN-OOSA and COSPAR all feature prominently. Extending into Sunday for the first occassion, the IAA is taking over a session and opening up the workshop to their Academy Day. The IAF was invited to attend the 4th African Leadership Conference (ALC4) planning meeting, to coordinate how the output of this conference can feed into the African Space Leaders round table to be organised on the first day of IAC 2011.

The briefing was very well attended, with 34 delegates coming from 9

African countries (Algeria, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe). One of the very positive results of the meeting is that the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is working closely with the Federation and will sponsor African individuals to attend the Cape Town Congress.

African Leadership Conference The establishment of the African Leadership Conference (ALC) on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development was an initiative of the African member states of the United Nations Committee on The Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in 2005. Its aim is the raise the profile of space in the African political leadership. It convenes every second year and the previous meetings have been held in Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria. One of the major outcomes of the 3rd ALC meeting in Algiers was the African Resources Management Satellite Constellation, an important regional initiative that aims to develop a network of satellites to make space technology more accessible to end-users in areas such as food security, environmental monitoring, land use, water management and public health. The 4th ALC (26-28 Sept 2011) will meet in Mombasa, Kenya in the week preceding the IAC. The timing is a deliberate choice. Outputs and decisions from the African Leadership Conference will provide inputs into the IAC Africa Space Day held on the Monday of IAC 2011.

One of the initiatives proposed for this meeting is that one of the IAF Youth Grant awardees along with a Space Generation Advisory Council African representative would attend ALC4 and then both the UN/IAF Workshop and Space Generation conferences. Bringing all these together, they would provide some recommendations from

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Space Community Ariane marks a new milestone with its 200th launch Arianespace’s February 16 launch of an Ariane 5 from the Spaceport in French Guiana was a milestone mission in many respects. Not only did it mark the second time Arianespace has orbited a Europeanbuilt Automated Transfer Vehicle for servicing of the International Space Station, this flight’s cargo resupply vehicle was the heaviest payload ever lofted by the workhorse Ariane 5 – weighing in at 20,750 kg. As importantly, it was the 200th flight of an Ariane family launcher – building on a heritage that goes back to the maiden liftoff of an Ariane 1 version in December 1979. Europe developed Ariane in the 1970s with the vision of responding to a global need by providing a commerciallyoperated, flexible launcher capable of meeting a full range of mission requirements. In three decades of operations, this series of vehicles has lofted some 350 primary and auxiliary satellite passengers for a total payload weight of over 850 metric tons. These missions have served a wide international customer base for a diverse range of applications: • 249 primary telecommunications satellites, plus 24 auxiliary telecom payloads, • 14 main scientific payloads, plus with six auxiliary scientific passengers, • 13 military satellites, • 12 civilian technological spacecraft, along with 11 others for the

military, • 9 meteorological platforms, • 8 civilian and 4 military Earth observation/reconnaissance, and • 2 Automated Transfer Vehicles for International Space Station resupply/servicing. Five main versions of the Ariane family have been operated, beginning with the cornerstone Ariane 1 (1981-1986), followed the more powerful Ariane 2 (1986-1989) and Ariane 3 (19841989). Ariane 4 resulted from Europe’s accurate forecasting of the growth of satellite payload weight and size. To meet the predicted market needs, a “building block” approach was taken, with six Ariane versions utilized from 1988-2003 – all of which were based on the same core three-stage vehicle. The commercial success of these launchers led to the development of Ariane 5, which has become the world’s reference for heavy-lift launchers – providing a payload lift capability of 10 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit and over 20 metric tons into low-Earth orbit. It has performed 56 launches from the maiden liftoff in 1996, logging 42 successful missions in a row since 2004. Three decades of Ariane has positioned Arianespace as the world’s leading commercial launch services

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provider, and the company is ready to expand its family of vehicles with the addition of the medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega – both of which will join Ariane 5 in operations at the Spaceport this year. “Our family of vehicles will enable Arianespace to meet our goal of launching ‘any payload, to any orbit, anytime,’” explained Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. “We will build on the professionalism, commitment and efficiency of Arianespace’s operational teams – who currently are performing Ariane 5 launches, and in a few months will be doing the same with Soyuz and Vega.”

En route to IAC 2011 Africa Space Day 2009-2011 period, there were a number of initiatives by a variety of African space-related organisations to align their activities. Africa Space Day is a collection of all outputs of these precursor events. The collective impact of these activities in Africa will be for the benefit of space serving the people of the continent. The IAC Africa Space Day will take place on Monday 3rd October 2011 on the opening day of the International Astronautical Congress in Cape Town. The first day of an IAC attracts heads of state and high-level diplomats. The Congress traditionally has a day focusing on the host country. Capitalising on the presence of these important people, it has been agreed to hold this on Monday in order to provide a high level focus on Africa.

© NASA

At the end of Monday, there will be an important African Space Round Table which will bring together all of the themes discussed at preceding events: ALC4, the UN/IAF Workshop and the Space Generation Congress.

Taking a pre Congress look at Cape Town In late January, members of the IAF Secretariat and the IAF President paid a site visit to Cape Town to see progress towards the 62nd International Astronautical Congress to be held in South Africa in October. During the visit, there was an excellent series of meetings with the Cape Town Local Organising Committee. The team met with Mrs Fubbs, the Chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Trade and Industry, discussing various aspects of the Congress and the support by the South African government. At the meeting, in several discussions with

key government officials in a number of different departments, all of them expressed very strong support for the IAC, which has proven to be an essential factor of success in the organisation of the Congress. The Congress Centre is a very modern one and provides all the rooms an IAC needs. Indeed, it will be possible to pick and choose the rooms to suit the activities. As of 26 January, 40% of the exhibition space already booked - 700 square metres out of 2000. 150 square metres have bee reserved for the Cluster forum. Several events and business-to-business

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opportunities will be organised in the Cluster area. It also offers a bonus for IAF members to use this area as a venue during the Congress. The nearby hotels are of a very high quality with 4000 rooms in the 100 metres around the congress venue - so nobody needs to walk very far! There are lots of exquisite hotels on the ocean front within five minutes drive. This could be an excellent location for accompanying persons to enjoy the special Cape Town atmosphere.

En route to IAC 2011 Final Contract signed On Wednesday 28 January, the Final Hosting Contract for IAC 2011 was signed in Stellenbosch, South Africa between President Feuerbacher of the IAF and the President of the National Research Foundation represented by Peter Martinez. This is a very important and exciting milestone on the way to the 62nd International Astronautical Congress. The signing ceremony caps a series of very successful meetings held in the days of the IAF site visit.

IAC Registration IAC 2011 registration is now open. Delegates are encouraged to register early to take advantage of the great discounted early bird registration rates. The “early bird” opportunity closes on 17 June. African participants will receive a 50% discount on their registration fees. To register, please visit http://iac2011. com/iac-2011-registration. This will take you to the registration page,

completing all the required fields. You are able to pay by credit card or an electronic fund transfer. Registration fees are payable in Euros.

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Cancellations and Refunds The Congress Secretariat must be notified in writing about cancellations and appropriate refunds will be made after the Congress. The following cancellation conditions apply: • Cancellations received by 30 June - full refund of the registration fee less 30 EUR handling fee • Cancellations received from 1 July to 31 August – 80% refund • Cancellations received on and after 1 September 2011 - no refund

People Interview with Sandile B. Malinga We recently spoke with Dr Sandile B. Malinga, acting CEO of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) which was established in 2010. Is it important for developing countries to have a presence in space? It is important. Space activities affects every facet of life from sustainable development planning, resource management to issues affecting the economy - such as navigation, and communication. It is important for all countries - including developing countries - to use space technologies and science to advance all areas of their endeavours. Why has South Africa established a space agency? There have been areas where South Africa has been active - for instance space science and space technology but there was no real coordination - it was done in pockets operating in some isolation. The intention of establishing a space agency is to have a central coordinating body to find synergies and leverage the efforts that are happening for maximum benefits for the country.

observation, progressively improving on the resolution we achieved with SumbandilaSat - 6.25 metres. Developing each needed technology as well as the satellite itself will bring benefits in terms of knowledge. Another plan is to develop a scientific mission dedicated to space weather

We are looking forward to a very successful Congress, assisting us in showcasing what we can do here in South Africa. SumbandilaSat has been a huge success. What are the future plans of SANSA?

monitoring, together with India and Brazil as part of the IBSA Framework, looking particularly at our geographic advantage to study the South Atlantic Anomaly.

We have a national space strategy, with a number of satellites that have been planned which are a continuation of satellite development programmes.

How do you see the future of the space sector on the African continent?

Our focus is mainly on micro-satellites - which is really our niche area. The plan is to develop a satellite which will be primarily used for earth

The future of space in Africa is bright. There are a number of countries involved such as Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Kenya and ourselves. There

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are plans to cooperate throughout the African continent, in particular creating a constellation of satellites the African Resource Management Constellation. This will include a NigeriaSat satellite, with South Africa and Algeria contributing their own satellites to the constellation. Collaboration and cooperation in space activities directly benefits the citizens of the continent. The International Astronautical Congress comes to Cape Town in October - the first time the IAC has been held in Africa. What are your hopes for the Congress? We are looking forward to a very successful Congress, assisting us in showcasing what we can do here in South Africa. It will enable us to interact with other nations, especially at the initial phase of our own programmes - an opportunity to learn from those advanced in their science and technology. Additionally, it will allow our scientists and students to participate and contribute.

Taking place on African soil for the first time, IAC 2011 promises to be a historic milestone in the development of the African space arena. Hosted by the National Research Foundation and organised by the International Astronautical Federation in co-operation with the International Academy of Astronautics, the International Institute of Space Law and the Department of Trade & Industry, South Africa. Abstract submissions are closing on 7 March. Don’t miss the deadline! To submit an abstract, click here

Who should attend? • Scientists and Engineers • Decision & Policy Markers • Space Industry Leaders • Young Professionals and Students • Space Professionals

Technical programme: The IAC will host more than 30 Symposia including the following topics: • Space Life Sciences • Microgravity Sciences And Processes • Space Exploration • Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence • Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars • Space Debris • Space Astronomy • Earth Observation

Registration

• Space Communications And Navigation • Human Space Endeavours • Small Satellite Missions • Integrated Applications • Space Operations • Astrodynamics • Materials And Structures • Space Power • Space Propulsion

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Space Systems Space Transportation Future Of Space Exploration Far Future Exploration Safety And Quality In Space Activities • Commercial Spaceflight Safety • Space Education And Outreach • Student Conference

Accommodation

• Policy, Regulations And Economics • History Of Astronautics • Space Activity And Society • Business Innovation • Law Of Outer Space

Sponsorship & Exhibition