Campus Meeting at ITU for the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)

ITU became the new venue for the “IAC 2026 Campus Meeting,” organized to foster strong academic contributions from Türkiye to the 77th International Astronautical Congress, which will be held in Antalya next year.

The “IAC 2026 Campus Meetings” event brought together students and academics interested in space research at the Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center on our Ayazağa Campus on October 17, 2025. Following the opening speeches, presentations and a panel on IAC 2026 and space studies were held. The event was attended by ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, SAHA Istanbul Secretary-General Levent Kerim Uça, TUA President Yusuf Kıraç, IAC 2026 Country Coordinator Emine Doğrukök, International Scientific Program Committee (IPC) Co-Chair for IAC 2026 Prof. Dr. Arif Karabeyoğlu, and the second and third Turkish astronauts Tuva Cihangir Atasever and Gökhan Erdem.

ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that space today is no longer merely a field for raising awareness; it has become a strategic ecosystem that touches every aspect of life—from defense to climate change, disaster management to food security. He emphasized that this ecosystem gives rise to a technology-driven space economy, and that such technology requires universities where science is conducted.

Prof. Dr. Mandal emphasized that, with its long-standing history, ITU is the first university in Türkiye to begin space studies. He highlighted that our university continues to strengthen the country’s scientific depth in space technologies through its interdisciplinary research structure. Stating that ITU is working with the goal of transforming knowledge into enterprise, research into production, and technology into space economy, Prof. Dr. Mandal underlined that human capital lies at the heart of a strong space ecosystem. Accordingly, he noted that ITU’s project teams, student clubs, and research centers are nurturing future engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs with this awareness.

Our Rector stated that the Space Support Systems Application and Research Center (UZDES), jointly established by ITU and the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), directly contributes to the National Space Program thanks to its integrated structure with TUA. He noted that the Center will be one of the key actors of IAC 2026.

Levent Kerim Uça, Secretary-General of SAHA Istanbul, provided information about SAHA Istanbul’s role in IAC 2026. He said that SAHA Istanbul, the largest industrial cluster in Türkiye and Europe, aims to raise awareness and support the development of space research in Türkiye. Recalling the significant achievements in the defense industry in recent years through the synergy of the private sector, public institutions, and academia, he suggested that a similar approach could be adopted in the space field as well. Uça emphasized that they view IAC 2026 as a milestone in this regard and pointed out that academia has important responsibilities in contributing to IAC 2026 through scientific literature and human capital.

Yusuf Kıraç, President of TUA and Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation, highlighted that the space economy is expected to reach a size of $1.8 trillion by 2035, and that IAC—attended by CEOs of the world’s largest space companies—represents a major opportunity for young entrepreneurs. He expressed confidence in young people to lead the ongoing space revolution and underscored ITU’s contributions to the goal of reaching the Moon and to the construction of the launch facility currently underway in Somalia. He stated that launches from Somalia will be monitored from the Space Support Systems Application and Research Center. The TUA President called on ITU members to enrich IAC 2026 with project teams and academic papers.

Emine Doğrukök, Advisor to the Minister of Industry and Technology and Country Coordinator for IAC 2026, shared organizational details about the upcoming Congress. She explained that the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), the world’s largest space-focused gathering with participation from space agencies, companies, universities, associations, museums, science centers, and research institutions, is not a conventional congress limited to scientific presentations. She emphasized that IAC stands out for its role in supporting scientific work and features an exhibition area that offers promotional opportunities. Each participating country organizes a welcoming ceremony, and in terms of its significance, the Congress resembles the Olympics. Doğrukök also mentioned topics such as TÜBİTAK funding support for participation fees and noted that inquiries about the Congress can be directed to info@iac.2026.org.

Tuva Cihangir Atasever, the second Turkish astronaut, delivered an inspiring presentation to attendees. He spoke about the training he received alongside Alper Gezeravcı for space missions involving scientific experiments, and discussed potential emergency scenarios aboard the International Space Station. Atasever provided examples of experiments conducted by Turkish astronauts in space, explained their scientific significance, and shared his views on how these studies might influence future technological developments.

In the final part of the event, Prof. Dr. Arif Karabeyoğlu—an ITU alumnus and Co-Chair of the IAC 2026 International Scientific Program Committee (IPC)—spoke at the IAC Paper Preparation Panel. In his presentation titled “How to Prepare a Paper for IAC? What to Pay Attention To?”, Prof. Dr. Karabeyoğlu emphasized their goal of increasing both the quality and quantity of papers submitted from Türkiye to IAC 2026. He stated that participating in IAC and similar conferences would bring significant benefits to both our country and the global community.