On July 31, 2026, the Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade was officially visited by Dr. Christian Feichtinger, Executive Director of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and Ms. Elena Feichtinger, Senior Advisor to the IAF. The meeting was attended by Director Dr. Luka Popović, Dr. Srdjan Samurović, Head of the Scientific Council of the Astronomical Observatory and PI of the PRISMA project UrbObsBel and Dr. Milan Stojanović, Head of the Research Unit for Space Science and Technologies.
During the meeting, the scientific research activities, areas of work and capacities of the Astronomical Observatory were presented. IAF representatives presented the activities of the Federation, the opportunities it provides to its members and the forms of inclusion in its programs and international network. The possibility of the Astronomical Observatory becoming a full member of the IAF in the category of research and development organizations was specifically considered.
The International Astronautical Federation is the world's leading non-governmental and non-profit organization that connects actors in the space sector, encourages international cooperation, the advancement of knowledge and the peacetime development of astronautics, and currently brings together 604 members from 82 countries. The IAF organizes the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) once a year, the leading global gathering in the field of space and astronautics, which brings together more than 6000 participants each year.
