ISRO expresses interest to host Int'l Astronautical Congress

The Bengaluru-headquartered IndianSpace Research Organisation has expressed interest to hostthe week-long International Astronautical Congress in 2022.

The Astronautical Congress is an annual event organised by International AstronauticalFederation (IAF).

A statement issued by the Federation said ISRO, Azerbaijan'sspace agency Azercosmos, Singapore's Singapore Space andTechnology Association, Italy's Italian Association ofAeronautics and Astronautics and Brazil's Agencia Espacial Brasileira had intended to bid by the deadline for submission.

The number of bidders was the highest ever, the IAF said.

The host will be voted at the IAC in Washington DC, USA, on October 25.

The IAF said the IAC attracts over 4,500 participants,with an intensive technical programme, public programme withplenary and IAF Global Networking Forum sessions, high-levellectures and late-breaking news, young professionals' andstudents' programmes, networking events and a large industrial exhibition.

During the IAC, heads of space agencies would also be present, it said.

Press events are also organised throughout the week, the Federation said.

In the last two decades India's space programme has attracted global attention.

Besides creating a record of sending the maximum 104 satellites in one go, ISRO has launched its Mars mission called Mangalyaan and two moon missions-Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2.