Josef ASCHBACHER

European Space Agency (ESA) • Director General

Josef Aschbacher became the ESA Director General on 1 March 2021. In 2023, his mandate as ESA DG was approved for a further period of four years as from 1 March 2025. Born in Austria, Josef studied at the University of Innsbruck, where he obtained a Master’s degree and a PhD in natural sciences. He has built a distinguished international career in space, with more than 35 years of professional experience spanning ESA, the European Commission, the Austrian Space Agency, the Asian Institute of Technology and the University of Innsbruck. As CEO of ESA, Josef is responsible for the definition, implementation and development of Europe’s space infrastructure and activities. He oversees an annual budget of €8 billion and a workforce of 6000 distributed across several establishments, principally in Europe. His proposal for ESA’s 2025 Ministerial Council marked a historic milestone, securing the largest Member State contributions ever – totalling €22.3 billion.

Events

International Astronautical Congress 2025

29 September - 3 October 2025

Sydney, Australia

Participation:

The Global Space Exploration Conference 2025

7-9 May 2025

New Delhi, India

Participation:

IAF Spring Meetings 2025

25-27 March 2025

Paris, France

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2024

14-18 October 2024

Milan, Italy

Participation:

IAF Spring Meetings 2024

26-28 March 2024

Paris, France

Participation:

The Global Space Conference on Climate Change 2023

23 May-25 May 2023

Oslo, Norway

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2022

18-22 September 2022

Paris, France

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2021

25-29 October 2021

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Participation:

The Global Space Exploration Conference 2021

14-18 June 2021

St. Petersburg, Russia

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2019

21-25 October 2019

Washington, United States

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2018

1–5 October 2018

Bremen, Germany

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2017

25-29 September 2017

Adelaide, Australia

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International Astronautical Congress 2016

26-30 September 2016

Guadalajara, Mexico

Participation:

The Global Conference on Space and the Information Society 2016

6-7 June 2016

Geneva, Switzerland

Participation: