Space as a safe environment, open to exploration, peaceful use and international cooperation by current and future generations: this is the concept at the heart of IAC 2024 edition, organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and hosted in Italy by the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIDAA) with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Leonardo.
According to the “Responsible Space for Sustainability” tagline, IAC75 aims to raise the international community's awareness of the role of space technologies as resources for promoting sustainability. The event will also focus on the themes of diversity and inclusivity, leveraging Space as a place where different generations, genders and skills have always contributed to the development, evolution, innovation and knowledge of humanity.
For this purpose, ASI, in collaboration with AIDAA and Leonardo, launched a Call for Ideas to invite the third and fourth years of Italian secondary schools, in Italy and abroad, to reflect on the theme of sustainability and to delve into its contents. The challenge is to develop a project proposal that answers one of the following questions:
- How to use space technologies to make our Planet more sustainable?
- How can Space and space exploration be made more sustainable?
- How can Italy be the engine of space sustainability?
Each class or group of students, coordinated by at least one teacher, will be asked to develop a project that proposes answers or solutions capable of developing an innovative idea in space sustainability, within a technological, scientific or socio-economic context.
The aim of the proposals is to use space science and technology to make the Planet and Space more sustainable, as well as to use satellite or mission data and services to improve the status of one or more of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The projects must be submitted to ASI by 20 May 2024. The ten best proposals will receive 5,000 euro grants to participate in the IAC 2024 in Milan.