BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 30. Azerbaijan was the first country in the region to host the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Adviser to the Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan Rashad Bayramov told reporters, Trend reports.
Azerbaijan is set to host the event for the second time in history on October 2-6, 2023, also being the only one in the region.
"Scientists and researchers from 95 countries have submitted 3,532 scientific articles to the upcoming International Astronautical Congress in Baku. Azerbaijan has also submitted a record number of scientific articles - 214. Our country is among the five countries that have submitted the largest number of scientific articles, after the US, Italy, India and China," he said.
According to him, the objectives of the IAC are to create a platform for establishing international cooperation in the space sphere, exchange experience and knowledge, demonstrate various novelties and increase the interest of young people in the space industry.
The IAC will be held in Baku on October 2-6, 2023.
The congress has been held annually since 1950 under the auspices of the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law with the support of the International Astronautical Federation.
The IAC's history in Azerbaijan dates back to 1973. At the initiative of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, on October 7-13 of the same year, the country hosted the 24th International Astronautical Congress under the motto of "Space research - penetration into science and technology".
Thus, Baku became the first city in the region where this event was organized.
On October 25-29, 2019, at the General Assembly of the International Astronautical Federation in Washington, Baku won the right to host the most prestigious event of the International Space Industry for the second time.
Thus, on October 2-6, 2023, the 74th International Astronautical Congress under the motto of "Global challenges and opportunities: Let's give chance to space" will be held in the Azerbaijani capital, organized by the Azerbaijan Space Agency - Azercosmos OJSC.
Azercosmos OJSC owns two communication satellites - Azerspace-1 and Azerspace-2, as well as the low-orbit satellite Azersky. In 2022, the income of the company from the sale of satellite and telecommunications services amounted to $26.6 million.