The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences. In 2015, it had more than 30,000 members among aerospace professionals worldwide (a majority are American and/or live in the United States).
Created in 1963 by the merger of the American Rocket Society (founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society), and the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences (established in 1933 as the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is more than 30,000 engineers and scientists from 88 countries dedicated to the global aerospace profession. AIAA convenes five yearly forums, publishes books, technical journals, and Aerospace America, hosts a collection of 150,000 technical papers, develops and maintains standards, honors and celebrates achievement, and advocates on policy issues. AIAA serves aerospace professionals around the world—who are shaping the future of aerospace—by providing the tools, insights, and collaborative exchanges to advance the state of the art in engineering and science for aviation, space, and defense.