A student view of IAC 2021: 5 Days in Dubai (4)

Bram De Winter was in Dubai last week and blogging for NL Space Campus in a 5-day Series. "The two keywords that were seen everywhere in the congress has been diversity and sustainability".

This is the fourth of 5 stories about IAC2021 in Dubai from a student’s viewpoint. Bram is a graduate student geology and geochemistry at VU Amsterdam and Space Exploration Projectgroup Co-Lead & national contact for the Netherlands SGAC (Space Generation Advisory Council). He is part of the NL Space Campus Student Working group. 

Day 4: Last day of IAC2021 in Dubai

Dear All,

This is already the last day that I will be attending SGC/IAC 2021 in Dubai. A week full of interesting keynotes, sessions, networking, and exhibition souvenir hunting has passed in a hurry. To summarise the congress, I want to focus on the striking trends and developments that I noticed during this week.

The dominant feeling that overachieved all activities is a feeling that space sector is just at the beginning of a major period of transformation and definitely of growth. Many future missions were presented with a lot of glitter and glamour. Compared to past missions more thought has been put into making these missions diverse and sustainable. These are two keywords that were seen everywhere in the congress. 

Another thing I really noticed (could be my bias) is how space agencies and companies are emphasizing the importance of the young generation in the future of space exploration. This could be seen in presentation as well as the role of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) in the International Astronautical Federation and the way companies approach SGAC. The role of young professionals is growing in importance and that will continue in the upcoming years. Personally, this is a motivation for continuing and extending my SGAC work for next year’s SGAC.

So… next year… Paris! With 2023 in Baku and 2024 in Milano, this is the opportunity to visit and experience the IAC! I recommend all young professionals who are pursuing space careers to have a look at this conference and experience the international community of the space business. 

Are you a young professional/student and have questions regarding SGAC or IAC/SGC, do not hesitate and contact @Bramdewinter

Ad Astra,

Bram de Winter