The 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2024) was held from October 14 to 18, 2024 at the Milano Congress Center (Allianz MiCo), Europe’s largest conference venue in Milan, Italy. It was organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and co-hosted by the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIDAA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Leonardo.
- The theme of IAC 2024 is “Responsible Space for Sustainability“, highlighted the urgent need for responsible use to ensure safety, minimize overcrowding, and reduce light pollution as the space economy expands.
- The significant highlights of the congress included the the awarding of the IAF World Space Award 2024 to ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath, launch of ESA’s Moonlight Programme for lunar communication, and the unveiling of the AxEMU spacesuit by Axiom Space and Prada.
Note: The IAC 2025 will be held in Sydney, Australia from September 29 to October 3, 2025.
Highlights of IAC 2024:
The IAC 2024 gathered key global stakeholders in the space industry, including space agencies, universities, and industries to address the shared environment of space.
IAF World Space Award:
i.Dr. S. Somanath, Secretary of the Department of Space (DoS) and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), received the IAF World Space Award 2024 for the remarkable success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
ii.Under Dr. Somanath’s leadership, Chandrayaan-3 made history by landing near the Moon’s South Pole on August 23, 2023, making India the first nation to achieve this feat. The mission showcased India’s technological capabilities and provided valuable scientific data.
iii.The IAF World Space Award is constituted to recognise outstanding contributions in space science, space technology, space medicine, space law or space management of “exceptional impact” to the world’s progress in astronautics.
About Chandrayaan 3 :
i.Chandrayaan 3, a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2, launched on July 14, 2023 on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
ii.The primary objective of Chandrayaan 3 is to putting a lander and rover in the highlands near the south pole of the Moon and demonstrating end-toend landing and roving capabilities.
Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS):
i.The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS) programme or the Moonlight program at the IAC 2024, aimed at establishing Europe’s first-ever satellite constellation for telecommunication and navigation services on the Moon.
ii.This initiative, developed in collaboration with the Italian spaceflight service company Telespazio Italian space agencies and supported by the United Kingdom (UK), aims to facilitate precise lunar landings and create a high-speed communication network.
- ESA is also collaborating with the NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on LunaNet to ensure compatibility between lunar infrastructures.
iii.The Moonlight programme will consist of 5 satellites : one for high-data-rate communications and four for navigation, deployed across a network spanning 400,000 km to connect the Moon to Earth via three ground stations.
- The first stage will launch the Lunar Pathfinder, a communications relay satellite developed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), set to begin operations in 2026, with full deployment expected by 2030.
iv.It will form a data network covering a distance of up to 400,000 kilometre(km) to link Earth through three dedicated ground stations.
AxEMU Spacesuit:
Texas(the United States of America, USA) based Axiom Space, a pioneering aerospace organization, and Italy based Prada, the renowned fashion brand, revealed the flight design of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit at the IAC 2024.
- This suit is set to be used for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)‘s Artemis III mission, marking a groundbreaking partnership that blends fashion and space technology.
- The suit has undergone simulations at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and Johnson Space Center, with testing set to continue through 2025.
Design and Features :
i.The AxEMU spacesuit, designed for lunar use, features a white, heat-reflective material to protect astronauts from extreme temperatures and lunar dust.
ii.Developed with Prada’s innovative sewing techniques, it accommodates astronauts of all sizes and includes advanced life support systems, allowing for spacewalks of up to eight hours even in extreme cold.
iii.The AxEMU spacesuit includes advanced features such as specialized boots for long spacewalks, helmets and visors with enhanced visibility coatings, custom gloves with improved functionality, and multiple redundant systems with onboard diagnostics to ensure astronaut safety.
About International Astronautical Federation (IAF):
President – Eugene Clayton Mowry
Headquarters – Paris, France
Founded – 1951
