Published on April 22, 2026
Earth Day 2026: Celebrating a Legacy, Continuing the Journey at GLOC 2026
On this 22 April 2026 - Earth Day, we celebrate a legacy that began 56 years ago with a new way of seeing our planet.
From the first images of Earth captured during the Apollo missions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, humanity was offered a profound and unifying perspective: our planet, the “Blue Marble”, is not a patchwork of borders but a single, fragile, living system suspended in space.
This extraordinary vision reshaped how we understand our place in the world, revealing the deep interconnectedness of all life and the shared destiny that binds us together.
It helped inspire the first Earth Day and continues to serve as a powerful reminder that safeguarding our planet is a collective responsibility. In embracing this perspective, we reaffirm a common purpose - protecting our only home through unity, cooperation, and a shared commitment to future generations.
The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) proudly carries this spirit forward. At the IAF Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC 2026) to be held from 2-4 June 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda, this celebration becomes ACTION. The global community will come together under the powerful theme "Uniting Space and Earth for Climate Resilience" to advance the use of space-based solutions for climate resilience, transforming decades of awareness into meaningful impact for Earth.
As part of this ongoing journey, we are honored to feature an outstanding line-up of speakers, reflecting how the perspective gained from space continues to inspire commitment, responsibility, and innovation in addressing today’s environmental challenges.
Earth Day reminds us why this mission matters.
GLOC 2026 shows how we act on it - together.
We invite you to celebrate this moment with us and continue the journey at GLOC 2026. See you all in Kigali!