Five-day IAC 2007 begins tomorrow in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Sep 23 (UNI) The five-day International Astronautical Conference(IAC 2007) hosted by Astronautical Society of India (ASI) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and organised by International Astronautical Federation (IAF) would begin from tomorrow at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

Union Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office(PMO) Prithiviraj Chauhan, would inaugurate the Conference, while Chief Minister Y S Rajasekahra Reddy will deliver the special address.

More than 200 delegates would attend the Conference, in which 125 technical sessions would be organised and 1,250 papers presented.

India-born NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian Astronauts, will participate in the 58th IAC and share their experiences with the delegates and interact with the media on September 28.

Space exhibitions and discussions on the present development in space technology would form part of the Conference.

Meanwhile, security had been tightened at the HICC and regular checkings were being conducted with bomb disposal and dog squads.

More than 500 police personnel were deployed at the venue where sophisticated bomb detecting machines were also installed and the movements of people entering into the premises would be scanned.

UNI