International Astronautical Congress

Opening ceremony of the 70th International Astronautical Congress in Washington, D.C. in 2019

61st International Astronautical Congress in Prague, Czech Republic (2010)

The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is an annual meeting that deals with matters about space. The meeting is held by the International Astronautical Federation with the support of the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL). It is hosted by one of the national society members of the IAF. The meeting is normally held in late September or early October. They consist of plenary sessions, lectures and meetings. The IAC is attended by the leaders and senior members of the world's space agencies.

As World War II came to an end, the United States and the Soviet Union had different opinions about how the world should be. During the early days of the Cold War, communication between the two countries was not common. Both countries wanted to have a better military than the other.

Six years after the Iron curtain fell, the International Astronautical Federation(IAF) was formed. It was created by European scientists in the field of space research. They created it so it would allow them to work more together. During the years of the Space Race, the IAF was one of the few places where members of both East and West Europe could meet.