Josef Aschbacher

Josef Aschbacher (born 1962) is an Austrian space researcher and manager based in Paris, France.[1][2] Since 1 March 2021, he is the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA). He previously served as ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes from 2016 to 2021.

Josef Aschbacher
Director General of the European Space Agency
Assumed office
1 March 2021
Preceded byJohann-Dietrich Wörner
Personal details
Born1962
Ellmau, Austria
NationalityAustrian
Alma materUniversity of Innsbruck
OccupationSpace researcher, manager
Websitejosefaschbacher.com

Education and career

Aschbacher was born and raised in Austria. He studied at the University of Innsbruck, graduating with a Master's degree and a PhD in Natural Sciences. He started his career as a Research Scientist at the University's Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics between 1985 and 1989. After, he worked in ESA as a Young Graduate Trainee and also in the European Commission Joint Research Centre. He returned to ESA in 2001 to work as Programme Coordinator for the Copernicus Programme. In 2006, he was appointed Head of the Copernicus Space Office.[3][4] He has worked at the European Space Agency, European Commission, Austrian Space Agency, Asian Institute of Technology and University of Innsbruck.[5] 

In 2016, he was appointed ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes,[6] leading the largest ESA Directorate with an annual budget responsibility of €1.5 billion.[7][8]

Institutional positions

After having been Director of Earth Observation Programmes and head of ESA's ESRIN site in Frascati, Italy, he replaced Jan Wörner as Director General of ESA on 1 March 2021.

He is the former head of Programme Planning & Coordination, ESA Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, the former head of Copernicus (GMES) Space Office, ESA Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes,[9] and former head of the Programme Coordinator Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA Paris.[10]

He was a Young Graduate Trainee, ESA ESRIN: Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, 1990, ESA ESRIN.[11]

Honors

He was nominated for Austrian of the Year for Contributions in Science, 2020,[12] and is an honorary member of the European Academy of Science and Arts.[13]

References
  1. "Josef Aschbacher's research while affiliated with European Space Agency and other places". Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  2. "Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA". www.esa.int. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. "Josef Aschbacher - IAF". Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  4. "ESA Website - Director of Earth Observation_Programmes". Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  5. Federation, International Astronautical. "IAF : Joseph ASCHBACHER". www.iafastro.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  6. "Josef Aschbacher appointed as New Director of ESA Earth Observation". ERA - ERA Portal Austria. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  7. "Josef Aschbacher: Europas neuer oberster Erdbeobachter - derStandard.at". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  8. Towards a European approach to "New Space" (PDF). p. 7. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  9. Aschbacher, Josef (2017). "ESA's Earth Observation Strategy and Copernicus". Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy: 81–86. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-3713-9_5. ISBN 978-981-10-3712-2. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  10. "Speaker bios - Copernicus Press Tour, January 2017" (PDF). Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  11. "Josef Aschbacher, Director of Earth Observation Programmes". www.esa.int. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  12. "The election of Austrians of the Year organized by the daily newspaper Die Presse". www.facebook.com. Austria in Space. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  13. "Members | European Academy of Sciences and Arts". members.euro-acad.eu. Retrieved 31 October 2020.


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