International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad on 24 September

The 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2007) will take place in Hyderabad, India, from 24 to 29 September 2007. The annual congress is one of the biggest space events of the year, and brings together some 2,000 international specialists, industry representatives and world leaders in the field.

IAC 2007 will be a crossroad that brings together the world's space agencies, astronautics institutes, aerospace scientific associations and firms involved in space activities. Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the event on Monday 24 September at 9.45 am.

More than 1,300 scientists will present papers, while 138 parallel technical sessions will deal with subjects like space transportation, communication satellites, earth observation, human spaceflight, exploration of outer space and the planets, and space law. An exhibition with more than 90 booths will features products and activities of space agencies and major industrial companies.

This year, as a novelty, IAF and UN-OOSA plan to organise a round table with participation of heads of leading space agencies and other relevant national, regional and international institutions from both space-faring nations and non-space-faring countries. A preliminary workshop from 21 to 23 September will provide a direct dialogue with participants on how space technologies and policies can contribute to sustainable development in developing countries, with a focus on food security.