The Space Day was a key event at ILA 2012. Under the patronage of Dr Philipp Rösler, German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, the conference included the heads of the main national space agencies of Europe and Russia, the Director General of ESA, Vice President Space of the German aerospace industries association, and the Director of the Polish Space Research Centre.

In his keynote speech, Peter Hintze, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, highlighted the critical importance of space for Europe, its positive effect on the economy and competitiveness and the main lines of the aerospace strategy of Germany.