NSW to showcase space industry at IAC 2025, Sydney summit

The NSW Government is seeking participation from local companies and research organisations for the upcoming International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 in Sydney.

Set to take place from 29 September to 3 October, the IAC is recognised as a major global space industry event and is expected to bring together up to 10,000 attendees from more than 80 countries. The Congress is hosted by the Space Industry Association of Australia, in partnership with the Australian Space Agency and the NSW Government.

This year's programme has recorded high global interest, receiving over 6,400 technical submissions and accepting 4,100 abstracts from 95 countries. The event theme, 'Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth', is designed to promote discussion around the essential role space technologies play in addressing modern societal challenges and improving daily life.

The NSW Government will organise a dedicated exhibition area at the IAC 2025. Through an expression of interest process, it plans to support up to 40 NSW businesses and research organisations, providing them with direct access to international investors and industry leaders. This includes engagement with the heads of major agencies such as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and executives from global commercial space firms.

Highlighting the state's achievements, the NSW Government-backed Waratah Seed satellite project launched in August last year has completed over 200 days in orbit and circled the Earth more than 2,000 times. This mission validated technologies from nine NSW startups, including developments in satellite repair robotics and advanced solar cells. The Waratah Seed satellite's outcomes have secured it a highlight lecture at IAC 2025.

The NSW Government maintains its backing for the space sector through initiatives such as the newly released NSW Industry Policy and NSW Innovation Blueprint, both of which are intended to support economic resilience, productivity, and future readiness across the state.

Rebecca McPhee, Deputy Secretary at Investment NSW, commented on the growing relevance: "Space is no longer a distant frontier—it is a rapidly growing industry that is a vital part of modern life, powering everyday services that we rely on."

"It is integral to many operations across our state, whether safeguarding our communities through telecommunications, improving disaster response and navigation, or tracking agricultural health and climate change."

"With the IAC being held in Sydney for the first time, we have an incredible opportunity to showcase the best of NSW ingenuity on the global stage. This is an event that's expected to pump USD $21 million into the local economy and open up future investment, trade, and export opportunities for our businesses."

"NSW is home to around 40 per cent of Australia's space industry – our businesses are pioneering technology in advanced manufacturing, satellite systems and commercialisation of space data. The IAC in Sydney will be a great platform for NSW businesses to showcase to the world the best of our innovative capabilities," said McPhee.

Lisa Vitaris, Director of IAC 2025 Sydney at the Space Industry Association of Australia, spoke on the event's regional importance: "With IACs having been held in the Southern Hemisphere only five times out of the last 75 years, we have an incredible opportunity to showcase not only our Australian space ecosystem, but also our regional, Indo-Pacific space ecosystem to the rest of the world."

"Having engaged extensively with such a significant portion of our global space industry over the past 18 months, I am genuinely excited about the opportunities I can see coming to our Australian space industry."

"There is keen interest in partnering with our businesses and universities given our innovative space-based solutions, our strong global relationships, and our reliability, not to mention our geographic advantage. We look forward to facilitating these opportunities at, and in the lead up to, IAC 2025 Sydney to fast-track the growth of our Australian space industry," said Vitaris.