International Charter receives the 2026 IAF World Space Award
The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters has been honoured with the 2026 World Space Award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). The award was presented during the Opening Ceremony of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, Türkiye, on 5 October 2026.
The award recognises more than 25 years of international cooperation in using space-based assets to support disaster response worldwide. Since becoming operational in 2000, the Charter has been activated more than 1,000 times in over 140 countries, providing satellite data and derived information to disaster management authorities at no cost to the user.
This recognition belongs to the entire Charter community. The Charter Members would like to express their sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to its mission over the past 25 years: the Authorized Users and End Users who bring the needs of disaster management communities into each activation; the Project Managers and Value Adders who voluntarily contribute their time and expertise; the satellite operators and Data Contributors who make their data available; and the many experts working behind the scenes to ensure the Charter is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Charter also extends its gratitude to its long-standing international partners and Cooperating Bodies, including the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), UNOSAT, Sentinel Asia and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as well as to the many national and international disaster management organisations with which the Charter works.
Above all, the award recognises what can be achieved when organisations across borders voluntarily share their satellite resources, expertise and time for a common humanitarian purpose.
The Charter sincerely thanks the International Astronautical Federation for this recognition and all those who have helped build and sustain this unique international cooperation. We look forward to continuing this joint effort and further strengthening the contribution of space to disaster response worldwide.