How Sydney won me over – through the eyes of an IAC 2025 delegate

Toronto-based mechanical engineer Benjamin Nero travelled to Sydney to present his team’s research at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025, hosted by the International Astronautical Federation. Alongside two colleagues, Mr Nero presented his work on the assembly, integration, and testing of NASA’s Aspera astrophysics spacecraft – a 60-kilogram microsatellite set to launch next year.  

Mr Nero, a graduate of the Master of Applied Science program at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) Space Flight Laboratory, now works as a Mechanical Engineer at SFL Missions Inc. His experience developing high-power solar array drive mechanisms and contributing to Aspera’s assembly and testing reflects a passion for spacecraft engineering and human space exploration. 
 
Mr Nero’s journey to the 12,000-strong Sydney conference IAC was a success on both a professional and a personal level. 

First impressions: easy, safe and surprisingly familiar

As a first-time visitor to Sydney, Mr Nero was delighted by how easy it was to get around the city. 

“I found it was very easy travelling around the downtown area, getting to and from the conference venue between where I was staying,” he said. “It was very easy to navigate and find things like restaurants and transit.” 

He also noticed how safe and familiar the city felt.  

“Aside from the cars driving on the opposite side of the road, I almost didn’t feel like I was in another country,” Mr Nero said. “There were many similarities I could draw between Toronto and Sydney, and I feel very safe in both cities.” 

Mr Nero arrived a week before the conference began, using that time to explore. 

“Arriving in Sydney a week before the conference began gave me the opportunity to leave things flexible, to just see where the day took me and explore different areas,” he said.

 “Everything is so close together that it was very easy to go from one place to the next.” 

Seeing Sydney from every angle – ferries, coastlines and sky-high harbour views 

“What surprised me the most was the ferry system,” he said. “Here in Toronto, we have a few ferries going over to our islands, but it’s not quite as well-established and expansive as the one in Sydney. You can go quite far on those ferries exploring, and that was something I wasn’t really expecting.” 

He took full advantage of Sydney’s prized balance between urban energy and natural beauty. 

“I went over to Taronga Zoo, and I also did some whale watching,” Mr Nero said. “Basically, the entire time I was there – with maybe the exception of one evening when it was raining – it was perfect weather.” 

“I had the opportunity to do one of those hop-on, hop-off bus tours, and that allowed me to stop off at a few places and explore the areas a bit more around the coast,” he said. “I actually did a coastal walk from Coogee to Bondi. That was really nice – I even saw some whales during that walk.” 

A few experiences stood out. 

“A couple of the experiences I had that I found most interesting were definitely the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge Climb,” Mr Nero said. “I went up halfway across the bridge and came back down, and that was a really unique experience. Seeing the city from that vantage point was really quite special. 

“The Opera House was another highlight,” he said. “I had the opportunity to take a tour inside and see how the architecture follows indoors and learn a bit more about the history of how the building came together. For me, coming from an engineering background, it was quite neat hearing how the architects were thinking about putting the building together and how they made certain key decisions.” 

He also enjoyed the city’s food and hospitality.  

“There were some good restaurants by the bridge in The Rocks area,” he said. “I had some pasta there, some seafood, it was very delicious. There’s also a breakfast place that serves really good pancakes down in that area.” 

The longer you spend in Sydney, the more you discover

For Mr Nero, the combination of professional growth, personal discovery and the ease of getting around made Sydney memorable.  

“It didn’t take me long to go from being downtown in the city to going somewhere like Bondi Beach, or Taronga Zoo, out whale watching or up to the Blue Mountains,” he said. “It was definitely very easy to get out in nature and go exploring.” 

“I hadn’t really done a lot of solo travel,” Mr Nero said. “This experience made me a lot more confident in solo travelling. Just because of how easy it was to navigate the city and how close everything was. It was definitely a very rewarding experience for me.” 

When asked what he would say to other international delegates considering attending a Sydney conference, Mr Nero didn’t hesitate.  

For this young aerospace engineer, the IAC 2025 in Sydney was more than a professional achievement – it was confirmation that Sydney offers delegates a world-class experience where business and pleasure come together seamlessly. 

To view the IAC case study, click here.