International Astronautical Congress

From The Space Library

The Premier Congrès International d'Astronautique took place between September 30th and October 2nd 1950 in the Richlieu Amphitheatre of the Sorbonne in Paris France. Only the first day was open to the public. The remaining days were taken up by a conference between the attending delegates who came from France, Germany, Britain, Austria, Sweden, Spain, Argentina, and Denmark. It was later reported that 1000 people passed through the congress.

Official attendees were as follows:

• Honorary President

Henri Mineur, founder of the Institute d'Astrophysique in Paris,

• Honorary Vice-Presidents

Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion, widow of the famed astronomer Camille Flammarion and director of the Juvisy Observatory

Lilia De Vendeuvre, famed aviatrix and Director of the Aviation Section of the French Red Cross.

• Congress President

Alexandre Ananoff founder of the Section Astronautique of the Société Astronomique.

• Speakers

Auguste Budry, Lauriet of the French Astronomical Society

Monsieur Gras, Treasurer of the French Aeronautical Club

Attendees included:

• British Interplanetary Society

1. Arthur C. Clarke
2. Arthur Valentine Cleaver
3. Leslie R. Shepherd
4. John Humphries
5. Eric Burgess

• German Spaceflight Club (VfR)

1. Rudolf Nebel (co-founder of the VfR)
2. Eugen Sänger (Austrian who pioneered winged spacecraft)
3. Irene Sänger-Bredt

• Argentinean Interplanetary Society (Sociedad Argentina Interplanetaria)

1. Teofilo Tabanera

• Austrian Society for Space Research (Oesterreichische Gesellschaft Für WeltraumForschung)

1. Ferdinand Cap
2. Hans Joachim Rückert
3. Friedrich Schmiedl (rocket mail pioneer)

• Society for Space Research (Gesellschaft Für WeltraumForschung) (GfW)

1. Heinrich Hermann Koelle
2. Guenter Loeser
3. F.K. Jungklaas
4. Werner Brügel
5. C. Oestwinter

• Swedish Interplanetary Society (Svenska Interplanetariska Sällskapet)

1. Ake Hjertstrand

• Spanish Astronautics Group (Agrupación Astronáutica Española)

1. Tomás Mur Vilaseca

• Danish Society for Space Research (Dansk Selskab for Rumfahrtsforskning)

1. Leo Hansen

The entire event had been arranged by Ananoff and Heinz Gartmann, scientific director of the GfW and a pioneer of early rocketry during the war at BMW Gartmann was prohibited from attending the conference when denied a visa to enter France.

Other attendees known to have been present included A Hoorstravol and Madame Fordale, who was the translator.

The only American that was known to attend was Frederick I. Ordway III who at that time was a student attending the Sorbonne.

Provisions were made at the conference to meet the following year in London where the International Astronautical Federation was officially founded.

In 2014 the 65th annual IAC took place at the Toronto Convention Centre in Canada.