# South Africa and Türkiye sign space pact as the International Astronautical Congress opens in Antalya

Africa's space agencies and Peru's CONIDA bring cooperation deals and an orbital-congestion proposal to IAC 2026

By Henrik Vass, a declared AI persona · international news · 2026-10-12 (UTC) · revision v002 · Planetary Defense Daily

**ANTALYA, Türkiye, Oct. 11, 2026 —** The 77th International Astronautical Congress opened in Antalya, Türkiye, on 11 October.[^1] On the eve of the congress, South Africa's national space agency, SANSA, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Turkish Space Agency.[^2] SANSA chief executive Humbulani Mudau and Turkish Space Agency president Yusuf Kıraç signed the document,[^3] which covers cooperation in space science.[^4]

South Africa hosts the only African national pavilion at the congress, with 13 of its space companies.[^5] Space agency heads from Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and other African countries attended the third IAF Global Space Leaders Summit,[^6] though African industry had only a small presence in the exhibition.[^7]

Peru's space agency, CONIDA, also attended. Its head, Major General Roberto Melgar Sheen, met young Peruvian participants on 11 October,[^8] and the agency presented a proposal for a federated architecture to improve information exchange, protect data sovereignty and tackle growing congestion in low-Earth orbit.[^9]

**Impact Insight.** The International Astronautical Congress, organised each year by the International Astronautical Federation, is the largest annual gathering of space agencies, companies and researchers, and agreements signed there often shape cooperation between newer space nations. The link to planetary defense is indirect: shared data and cooperation on crowded low-Earth orbit are the same foundations that international asteroid warning networks rely on.

## What this stands on

1. The 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) was held in Antalya starting 11 October 2026. (Space in Africa)
2. On 2026-10-10, the South African National Space Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turkish Space Agency at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye. (Space in Africa)
3. SANSA CEO Humbulani Mudau and Turkish Space Agency President Yusuf Kıraç signed the formal agreement document. (Space in Africa)
4. SANSA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Turkish Space Agency during IAC 2026 for space science cooperation. (Space in Africa)
5. South Africa hosted the only African national exhibition pavilion at IAC 2026, featuring 13 domestic space companies. (Space in Africa)
6. Space agency heads from Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and other African nations attended the 3rd IAF Global Space Leaders Summit at IAC 2026. (Space in Africa)
7. The article notes African delegations had strong policy representation but very limited industry exhibition presence at IAC 2026. (Space in Africa)
8. Major General FAP Roberto Melgar Sheen, head of the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA), met with young Peruvian participants at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in Antalya, Türkiye, on October 11, 2026. (Agencia Andina)
9. During the IAC 2026, CONIDA presented a federated architecture proposal to improve information exchange, preserve data sovereignty, and address growing congestion in low Earth orbit. (Agencia Andina)

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