IAA in Brief

Founded in Stockholm on August 16, 1960, at the dawn of the space age, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) was created under the leadership of Dr. Theodore von Kármán, one of the most influential pioneers of modern rocketry and the Academy’s first president.

The IAA is as an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit organization, formally recognized by the United Nations in 1996, with more than 1,200 members across 90+ countries.

The Academy:

• Promotes open-access educational materials and publications across diverse domains—including education, culture, health, society, research, law and more;
• Convenes inclusive forums and conferences to drive interdisciplinary knowledge and global dialogue;
• Honors individuals and teams whose achievements further the peaceful and equitable advancement of space;
• Champions the sustainable, peaceful, and widely accessible use of outer space for the good of humanity.

The Academy is a driving force in the global space community, with activities that include:

• 25+ international conferences per year, fostering global dialogue and knowledge exchange
• Authoritative publications, including Acta Astronautica (ranked #1 worldwide in astronautics), multilingual dictionaries in 24 languages, and a series of books on small satellites, remote sensing, space history and more
• Influential Cosmic Studies on critical global topics such as space exploration, health and life sciences, environmental protection, the promotion of peace, debris mitigation, culture and law, space traffic management, climate change, disaster response, planetary protection, and more
• Programs and symposia bridging disciplines across education, culture, life sciences, social sciences, law, engineering, basic sciences, economics and management

In a world where the challenges of space exploration transcend borders, the IAA continues to shape international cooperation and inspire innovation — ensuring that the pursuit of space remains a venture for the benefit of all humanity.

Rooted in the heritage of historic academies that promoted dialogue and scientific inquiry for societal progress, the IAA continues this legacy by fostering global collaboration among institutions, educators, policymakers, and civil society. We uphold the principle that the exploration of space should benefit all humanity, transcending borders and professional affiliations.

As IAA’s second president Dr. Frank J. Malina observed: “the classical academies served in a remarkable manner the phenomenal advance of man’s new method of understanding nature and of applying this understanding for the benefit of mankind.”

Today, the Academy continues this tradition by working closely with national academies worldwide. Through these partnerships, the IAA strengthens a spirit of cooperation that transcends boundaries, cultures, and institutions, ensuring that the advancement of space exploration and applications serves the good of all humanity.