Ministers gather in Antalya for 77th Astronautical Congress

Türkiye's Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir opened the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya on Monday by emphasizing that space science investments are essential for producing high-value-added technologies, as top global ministers gathered to discuss the commercialization of Earth's orbit.

Ankara targets lunar surface with Somalia spaceport

Kacir said Ankara has prioritized landing on the lunar surface while working to construct a technopark in the capital and a spaceport in Somalia to secure independent access to space. "Space is the backbone of value-added goods and services production, and Türkiye has made investments in recent years, including launching our homegrown satellites," he said.

The high-resolution imaging satellite Imece launched in 2023 and the Turksat 6A communications satellite placed Türkiye among roughly a dozen countries capable of designing and manufacturing their own communications satellites, according to the minister.

UAE and Spain outline commercial strategies

Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, who chairs the United Arab Emirates Space Agency, said Abu Dhabi's national strategy seeks to double space sector revenue growth and rank among the world's top 10 space economies by 2031. "We've come to realize that it's not necessarily funding — they (startups) need access to markets with our bilateral trade agreements, and they need access to space infrastructure, such as fire testing, launch sites, clean rooms," he said.

Spain's Science Secretary Juan Cruz Cigudosa reported that the Spanish space sector grew exponentially between 2022 and 2025, with firm revenues surging 40% to €1.5 billion annually and employment jumping 52%. "At the latest ministerial meeting of the ESA (European Space Agency) in November 2025, Spain became for the first time the fourth-largest contributor to ESA — we will contribute €1.55 billion between 2026 and 2030," he said.

Poland and Uzbekistan prepare for upcoming congresses

Poland will host next year's International Astronautical Congress in Poznan, marking the second time the country has held the event since 1964, according to Michal Jaros, the Polish economic development and technology secretary. "We moved from isolation and cooperation, and this is the direction we all need to take when we think about space — if we want space to remain safe, sustainable, and available for peaceful activities, and for the future generations, we need more cooperation," he said.

Sherzad Shermatov, Uzbekistan's digital technologies minister, said Tashkent will host the congress in 2028 alongside efforts to launch the country's first satellite and send young Uzbek astronauts into orbit. "Our aim is to bring this national priority back under the leadership of our president," he said, noting that space has been a national priority for six centuries dating back to the Samarkand observatory.