The 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2021), organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), held in the Middle East for the first time and hosted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) ended on Friday. Over 6,500 delegates from more than 110 countries attended the “Inspire, Innovate & Discover for the Benefit of Mankind” themed event.

The UK Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint activities and information sharing on space, the British High Commission Ottawa reported. The MOU was signed in Dubai at the annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2021).

Estée Lauder announced they have become the exclusive partner of the ISS National Laboratory Sustainability Challenge: Beyond Plastics. This is the first time a beauty brand partners a research and development opportunity for innovators to propose plastics alternatives.  The Sustainability Challenge addresses plastic waste and enable scientific or technological advancements to tackle the issue.

Plus Ultra Space Outpost (Plus Ultra) and Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) have signed an agreement to launch a demonstrator mission to the Moon, RFA announced. RFA will launch Plus Ultra’s first satellite in 2023 on an RFA ONE launch vehicle. The vehicle uses industrial automation and staged-combustion propulsion, according to the company.

Airbus Defense & Space, Air Liquide and ispace Europe have announced the joint creation of the Euro2Moon non-profit platform focusing on topics related to the exploration of the lunar surface. Euro2Moon will bring in public and private expertise targeting the utilisation of lunar resources in a commercial and sustainable way.

The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Bradford Space / ECAPS signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaborative orbital debris removal services. The agreement was signed at the International Astronautical Congress 2021 in Dubai. Common Earth orbits are getting increasingly congested with more companies deploying satellite constellations than ever before.

Promus Ventures has closed a €120 million space fund named Orbital Ventures, Promus announced. The Luxembourg-based fund focuses on early-stage, space-related companies. The European Investment Fund contributed €40 million, while other investors include the Luxembourg Government through the Ministry of Economy and the National Credit and Investment Institution.

Poland has joined the list of nations committed to ensuring sustainable space practices by signing the Artemis Accords at the International Aeronautical Congress in Dubai, NASA reported. President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA), Grzegorz Wrochna, signed the document during a ceremony.

Isar Aerospace (Isar) and EnduroSat announced that they have entered into a firm launch service agreement to launch satellites in rideshare missions between 2022 and 2025. This agreement is a strong example for the growing development of the European space ecosystem, Isar said.

Blue Origin and Sierra Space announced the plan to build a commercially developed, owned and operated LEO space station, called Orbital Reef, by 2030. The project is encouraged by Boeing, Genesis Engineering Solutions, Redwire Space, and Arizona State University. The destination will offer research, industrial, and commercial customers cost competitive services, Blue Origin said.