IAC2023 Report
We attended the International Astronautical Congress 2023, one of the biggest space conferences. In this article, we will introduce an overview of the conference, highlight trends of topics, and share the insights we acquired.
Here is the official highlight video.
What is IAC?
IAC is one of the biggest international conferences on all space sectors and topics. It consists of multiple events such as plenary events, technical sessions, special sessions, corporate exhibition, ... This year, the 74th conference was held in Baku, Azerbaijan from October 2nd to 6th.
Schedule
The schedule was as in the table below.
Opening ceremony
First, an opening ceremony was held in the auditorium. There were beautiful musical performances and speeches by IAF president and president of Azerbaijan.
Talk with Elon Musk
The most popular plenary event was talk between the IAF president and Elon Musk virtually. They discussed how to create a more exciting future by using space technology.
Interactive presentation
In the interactive presentation session, hundreds of presenters shared their studies with the poster screens. We obtained many insights and networks. We also presented the detection of the Turkey earthquake from high-resolution satellite images.
Technical Session
The technical session consisted of various sessions on different themes. We mainly attended B1. Earth Observation Symposium.
B1.1. International Cooperation in Earth Observation
Focused on cooperation and compatibility in the development of space-based Earth observation systems. Some studies have detected disaster effects by combining multi-sensor satellite images.
B1.2. Earth Observation Systems
Focused on recently launched, and ongoing systems, missions, constellations, and programs for Earth observation. Much insights about the latest and future satellites were acquired.
B1.3. Earth Observation Sensors and Technology
Focused on Earth observation sensors and instruments. Multi-modal sonsors such as hyper-spectral and infrared sensors have been introduced.
B1.4. Earth Observation Data Systems and Technology
Focused on the challenges of emerging information and web-based technologies. One study utilized ChatGPT for the analysis of satellite imagery, including data acquisition, analysis methods, evaluation, and Python scripts.
B1.5. Earth Observation Societal and Economic Applications, Challenges and Benefits.
Focused on Earth observation for sustainable development challenges and socio-economic benefits. Some studies have combined SAR data and local water measurements to monitor land subsidence.
B1.6. Assessing and Mitigating the Global Freshwater Crisis
Focused on space flight missions for freshwater measurements. We found a fascinating study that detected water leakage by measuring the soil moisture from SAR data.
B1.7. Earth Observation to address Earth’s Environment and Climate Challenges
Focused on Earth observation to address climate changes, weather, and land monitoring. Many applications to tackle global problems by Earth observation could be found.
Exhibition
In exhibition, a number of companies, space agencies, and others exhibited. We contacted the satellite image providers and solution companies. It was invaluable to talk to diverse organizations across the world.
Closing ceremony
In the end, closing ceremony was held. Also, it was announced that the next year conference would be held in Milan, Italy.
Gala dinner
After the conference, we had a gala dinner. Wonderful Azerbaijani cuisines were served with nice songs.
Conclusion
By attending the IAC, we had precious experience. Not only catching up with the latest research, but also networking and discussing would definitely proceed to our business. We will keep on attending future conferences or symposiums.
