Membership, confirmed during World Space Week, connects the Institute’s space research to the world’s largest network of space agencies, industry and academia
Abu Dhabi, UAE, 07 October, 2026 – The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has been admitted as a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). The decision was taken at the IAF General Assembly, held during the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, Türkiye, and coincides with World Space Week.
Founded in 1951, the IAF is the world’s leading space advocacy body, with 604 member organizations in 82 countries. Membership places TII within this network as the seventh organization from the UAE to join and gives its space research a direct route into international collaboration and recognition.
TII’s space work is led by its Propulsion and Space Research Center (PSRC). This year’s World Space Week theme, “Rocket Revolution” on widening access to launch, sits close to one of the Center’s core programs. In February 2026, PSRC launched the UAE’s first hybrid sounding rocket, designed and built at TII, establishing a domestic foundation in propulsion, recovery and flight testing. The Center has also developed the deployable probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), led by the UAE Space Agency with national partners. Scheduled to launch in 2028, the mission will travel five billion kilometers to study seven asteroids and add to scientific understanding of how the Solar System formed and evolved.
Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Chief Executive Officer, TII, said: “Progress in space research depends on sustained international exchange. The fundamental questions in this field cannot be resolved by any single nation or institution. Membership of the IAF places TII’s work before the global community best positioned to scrutinize it, build upon it and partner with us, and reflects our commitment to contribute to that community as fully as we benefit from it.”
As a member, TII will take part in IAF activities including its technical committees and the annual IAC, and will pursue joint research with member organizations across space science, propulsion and exploration.