As Australia welcomed more than 7,500 delegates to the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025) in Sydney – the largest space gathering ever held in the country – one of the key figures behind Australia’s diplomatic and strategic success was Greek Australian public servant Adriana Tsounis.

In her role as Assistant Director of International Partnerships at the Australian Space Agency, Adriana led engagement with global delegations across Europe, the UK and the Pacific, helping secure landmark agreements with the European Space Agency, NASA, the United Kingdom and Pacific Island nations.

Her work reflects not only the growing ambition of Australia’s space sector, but also the vital role of international cooperation in shaping the future of space exploration, security and resilience.

In this exclusive Q&A, Adriana speaks with The Greek Herald about the challenges and rewards of coordinating Australia’s engagement at IAC 2025, the rapid evolution of Australia’s space industry, the importance of women in global space diplomacy – and how her Greek Australian heritage helped inspire her path into international affairs.

How has your Greek Australian upbringing contributed to your career and interest in international affairs?

I was very fortunate to grow up in Sydney with my grandparents speaking to me in Greek, and I studied Greek up until Year 12. Our Greek heritage was a very intrinsic part of my upbringing, with my dad very involved in the local Greek community and especially the Mytilenean community. This exposure catalysed my interest and love for languages, and I went on to study French at university during my Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of International Studies at UNSW.

Throughout my studies, I found I leaned more towards the international elements of my degree including international law and multilateral cooperation. When I returned from my year exchange at Sciences Po, Paris, I met the Consul-General of Greece at the time while volunteering at the Alliance Française French Film Festival.

I had started volunteering at different events around Sydney to expand my networks. I began an internship at the Consulate-General shortly after and my curiosity with diplomatic engagement sparked. I also loved being able to work in English, Greek and French!

When I moved to Canberra and later to Adelaide, my culture has been a big part of my identity and has also led to some wonderful friendships. I can’t also deny the power of the Greek language in learning some other foreign languages and in certain technical scenarios as well as Greek mythology in space – for example, in space exploration with the naming of celestial bodies and space programs.

As Assistant Director of International Partnerships at the Australian Space Agency, you’ve been at the forefront of liaising with global delegations for the recent 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025) — from NASA to the European and Greek Space Agencies. What were some of the biggest challenges and rewards in coordinating such an international effort?

IAC 2025 was a momentous occasion for Australia and the broader Indo-Pacific space ecosystems. It is incredibly rewarding to work in the Australian Space Agency’s International Partnerships team and contribute to the delivery of key outcomes with our global partners.

My focus in the team is our Europe, UK and Pacific partnerships. Some highlights of the week included the announcement of a mandate to commence negotiations on a Cooperative Agreement between the European Space Agency and Australia; the signing of the new UK-Australia Space Bridge Framework Arrangement; and a Pacific Island Countries delegation and panel discussion co-organised with the Pacific Community on “From Sky to Sea: Space Technologies for Enabling Resilience and Connectivity in the Pacific”. There were a number of other highlights delivered by the team, including the signing of the Space Framework Agreement between the United States and Australia.

With international partners travelling to Australia for the world’s largest space event, IAC was a unique opportunity to deliver these significant outcomes, but it also meant having to balance a number of objectives concurrently. This was certainly a challenge, but for someone who loves international work and contributing to Australia’s place in the international system, it is also incredibly rewarding.

There are around 80 space agencies globally, and we had representation at IAC from 99 countries. Our team is relatively small and maintaining engagement with our key partners as well as an awareness across this large group was at times challenging. However, it is also fantastic to have seen such a large interest and the breadth of representation in global space conversations at IAC.

All our teams working on IAC pulled some long hours in the lead up to the event and all supported one another. I’m very grateful for the support I had at the Agency and to have made some wonderful friendships throughout the entire process – both here in Australia and with international counterparts.

Australia hosted over 7,500 delegates for this year’s IAC – a remarkable milestone. From your perspective, how did the Congress strengthen Australia’s role as a trusted partner in the global space community?

IAC 2025 provided a unique opportunity to showcase Australian and regional space capability, and to demonstrate the long way Australia has come since we last hosted IAC 2017 (when the Agency was announced).

As our Head of Agency, Enrico Palermo recently remarked, “Today, Australia looks to the future not discussing what could be – or sharing plans and hypotheticals – we forge ahead as a proud spacefaring nation with much to offer our international partners.”

The Congress enabled Australia to reinforce its key relationships and also emphasise those with our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific region. The Agency worked with these partners over many months and years to announce some significant outcomes at IAC.

The Australian Government announced a mandate to begin negotiations on a Cooperative Agreement between the European Space Agency and Australia. The Agreement will establish a formal mechanism for new and exciting opportunities between Europe and Australia’s space sectors.

Separately, a treaty-level Space Framework Agreement between Australia and the United States was signed – opening the door to new opportunities for government, businesses and researchers to collaborate on joint projects with NASA and other American partners.

I am also incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work towards and support a Pacific Island Countries delegation to attend the Congress, including Ministerial representation from Cook Islands and Solomon Islands. This was the first IAC to have a Pacific Island Countries delegation, helping to further emphasise the importance of Pacific voices in global space conversations.

The Australian space industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, from satellite design to space medicine and remote sensing. How would you describe the current state of the industry — and what makes Australia uniquely positioned to contribute to global space innovation?

Australia is a great place to do space. We have leading capabilities in areas like robotics and remote operations, optical and quantum communications, ground stations networks, and remote health science. Our space industry is producing new innovations that support launch and nanosatellite capability. It also has established state-of-the-art infrastructure to deliver important space-based services.

Combined with our nation’s desirable geography and world-class research institutions, Australia is making its mark on the global space economy. We also have our vast outback and expansive coastlines that makes us a prime destination for space launches and returns. At IAC 2025, South Australia-based company Southern Launch and US company Varda Space Industries announced another 20 planned space returns by Varda to Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in regional South Australia.

As a leader in international partnerships and a representative of Australia in multilateral fora, how do you see women shaping the future of space diplomacy and policy? What advice would you give to young women aspiring to work in this field?

I like to see women not just through one lens. We all have different backgrounds, cultures, languages, and experiences that overall contribute to the unique contributions we can make in international collaboration. And this is already recognised at various levels including through the UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda (and Australia’s second Australian National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security 2021-2031).

Amongst the backdrop of broader international diplomacy and policy, space can sometimes feel like a small minnow in a big pond and being curious and persistent is important. I landed in the space field after a visit to the Australian Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide sparked the idea. Space was conveyed as something no longer confined to engineers, researchers and technical experts – but one where international lawyers, policy experts and diplomats was required.

I see women using their diverse backgrounds and skills to help shape the space domain through contributions to law and policy as well as scientific and commercial pursuits to inform the first two. Beyond the conventional technical realm, women’s contributions can extend to creating a more inclusive and equitable space sector, promoting STEM education and leadership development with international and regional partners.

My advice would be to be tenacious, curious and confident in your abilities. I was a little nervous to take the leap to an area I had no background in, but it has been a great challenge and I always get to learn something new. I wanted to further my bilateral skills after working in multilateral roles, and really enjoy the stakeholder relationships I get to make working for the Agency.

As someone deeply involved in building international partnerships, where do you see the biggest opportunities for Australia’s space sector in the next five to ten years — whether through collaboration, commercial growth, or new research frontiers?

I certainly see a lot of potential and opportunities across the breadth of the space sector, but will speak to international collaboration, which is also an enabler for commercial growth and research. Space is a global industry, so maintaining and growing our strong international partnerships will help achieve our space ambitions and see our local sector thrive.

For my part, the announcement of a mandate to commence negotiations with the European Space Agency will provide a formal framework for Australian businesses and researchers to collaborate with Europe’s space ecosystem, potentially opening new and exciting opportunities. The possibility of these future collaborative opportunities grows upon the close and productive space partnership Australia has shared with Europe for over 40 years, covering areas of deep space communications, navigation, data analysis, mission support, and more recently, human spaceflight with astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg’s training with ESA.

Enhancing regional partnerships will also be key. The Australian Space Agency plays a central role in building regional partnerships to strengthen Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on how space technologies can improve lives across the region.

Working closely with our neighbouring countries continues to be an important part of our work, with the Agency sharing expertise, supporting responsible space practices, and contributing to regional collaboration. These partnerships help address current and future shared challenges such as climate resilience and disaster response, while unlocking new opportunities for growth and innovation in Australia’s space sector.