Uzbekistan's Samarkand Aims to Host 2028 International Astronautical Congress

Uzbekistan is stepping into the global space arena as Samarkand puts forward its bid to host the 2028 International Astronautical Congress (IAC), The Caspian Post reports, citing Kun.uz.

This prestigious event is one of the world’s largest space conferences, attracting about 10,000 scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders each year.

Recent editions have taken place in Azerbaijan, Italy, and Australia.

For 2028, Samarkand faces serious competition, with the host city to be chosen from among Mumbai (India), Manama (Bahrain), and Hefei (China).

Founded in 1951 and based in Paris, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) serves as a neutral platform for global space dialogue, bringing together 563 member organizations from 81 countries, from government agencies and companies to universities and museums. IAF Executive Director Dr. Christian Feichtinger, visiting Samarkand earlier this month, described the IAC as “the Olympic Games of space.”

“For the International Astronautical Federation, it is very important to support emerging space countries. Uzbekistan is developing this area, and hosting the IAC in Samarkand would greatly boost its space sector and ecosystem,” Dr. Feichtinger said in an interview with Kun.uz during his recent visit to Uzbekistan.

The country’s Uzbekspace agency, formally the Space Research and Technology Agency under the Ministry of Digital Technologies, has been tasked with shaping national space policy, developing infrastructure, and building international partnerships.

For the IAF, according to the guest, inclusivity means supporting countries like Uzbekistan as they build their space sectors, showing how newcomers can develop ecosystems from scratch and use the platform to boost the cooperation between other nations.