A breathtaking view from the 39th floor of Palazzo Lombardia was the background for the signature of the agreements to host the IAC24 in Milan. The ceremony saw a double signing: the contract between the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIDAA), which has been tasked with the organization of the event in Milan, from October 11th to October 18th, 2024, and the letter of intent which commits the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Leonardo to support AIDAA in the organization of the event.
The agreements were signed by the president of the IAF, Pascale Ehrenfreund, and by the president of the AIDAA, Erasmo Carrera, whereas the letter of intent was signed by the president Giorgio Saccoccia for the ASI and by the CEO of Leonardo, Alessandro Profumo.
The 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), the most important global event in the field of Space, is scheduled in two years ‘time and will bring to Milan over 8000 experts from the world of industry, research and institutions.
The candidacy of Milan, declared winner in October 2021, was promoted by the AIDAA, ASI and Leonardo, in representation of, respectively, the Italian academic world, institutions and space industry, and was supported in a decisive way by the Italian Government and local institutions, in particular by the president of the Lombardy region and the Major of Milan.
The ceremony was attended by the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, and the president of the town council of Milan, Elena Buscemi, who highlighted the importance of this industry in the economy of Lombardy and ensured the support of the two institutions for the success of the event.
With the motto “Responsible space for sustainability”, IAC 2024 wants to highlight the importance of Space as an “environment” which should be kept safe, open to exploration, pacific use and international cooperation by the current and future generations, in the interest of the planet and all countries, regardless of their level of development and without any kind of discrimination. In the hope that this will happen, space agencies, companies, research centres and associations from all over the world will meet at the Milano Congress Center (Allianz MiCo) and will gather for the IAC 2024, organized with the contribution of AIM Group International.
Today there are about 5000 operational satellites in orbit, a number which is expected to grow significantly in the next few years. The number of countries and private and public stakeholders which are the protagonists of the Space Economy is increasing more and more. However, the terrestrial orbit is a limited resource and its overcrowding leads to risks in terms of safety, light pollution and availability of data and services made available by space technologies. Economics, industry, agriculture, transports, energy, finance, urban development, communications, environmental monitoring, safety: space systems are a key tool for a more digital, greener and more sustainable future, and are essential for the functioning of society and global economics and trade.
The challenge for the responsible use of Space for sustainability sees Italy in the front line, as one of the few countries in the world which comes with a complete supply chain in the field of Space economy: from manufacture, by way of the development of new applications and the management of satellite services, to propulsion and launch systems.
Such skills are expressed by the world of research and companies of any size, from start-up companies and small and medium-sized enterprises to large-scale industry, which supported the institutions in their commitment towards Milan’s candidacy, which starting today is getting ready for the next organizational actions.
