For more than 60 years, the IAA has pioneered space, uniting the world’s leading experts in astronautics to tackle groundbreaking challenges, recognize achievements, and provide direction for the peaceful exploration and use of space. By advancing global collaboration and innovation, IAA promotes international cooperation across all space-related fields and supports equitable access to space for all nations, for the benefit of humanity.

Founded in 1960 by Dr. Theodore von Kármán, the Academy honors the pioneering minds that shaped astronautics. The inaugural 1955 issue of IAA’s world-leading space research journal, Acta Astronautica, featured contributions from some of the foremost space pioneers, including von Kármán, his PhD student and IAA Academician Qian Xuesen, along with fellow IAA Academicians Wernher von Braun and Hermann Oberth. Their groundbreaking work in rocket science and space exploration laid the foundation for international cooperation in space and launched a new era of scientific discovery.

The IAA made history in 2010 by convening 35 heads of space agencies for the first time. These space leaders signed the IAA Summit Declaration, committing to advance cooperation in Human Spaceflight, Planetary Exploration, Disaster Management, and Climate Change, reinforcing the Academy’s mission to unify global space efforts.