Josef Aschbacher
@josefaschbacher.esa.int
The Director General of the European Space Agency
Let’s show the world what a united Europe can achieve. Discover what's at stake at ESA's Council at Ministerial Level 2025, taking place next week in Bremen 👇
www.esa.int/About_Us/Min...
www.esa.int/About_Us/Min...
November 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Let’s show the world what a united Europe can achieve. Discover what's at stake at ESA's Council at Ministerial Level 2025, taking place next week in Bremen 👇
www.esa.int/About_Us/Min...
www.esa.int/About_Us/Min...
The Dutch space sector is a powerhouse of innovation and growth. Ambitious #CM25 contributions can sustain the Netherlands leadership in @esa.int and in the space industry overall. There are few countries that have the kind of diverse ecosystem and ESA infrastructure that the Dutch have today.
November 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I recently signed an Implementing Arrangement between
@esa.int and the State Space Agency of Ukraine. This agreement launches our first joint projects, opening the door for Ukrainian scientists, engineers and companies to work alongside ESA Member States.
@esa.int and the State Space Agency of Ukraine. This agreement launches our first joint projects, opening the door for Ukrainian scientists, engineers and companies to work alongside ESA Member States.
November 3, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I recently signed an Implementing Arrangement between
@esa.int and the State Space Agency of Ukraine. This agreement launches our first joint projects, opening the door for Ukrainian scientists, engineers and companies to work alongside ESA Member States.
@esa.int and the State Space Agency of Ukraine. This agreement launches our first joint projects, opening the door for Ukrainian scientists, engineers and companies to work alongside ESA Member States.
Building on its strong expertise in security and resilience, Poland is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in ESA’s European Resilience from Space initiative at ESA's Ministerial Council, a timely opportunity to reaffirm its long-term strategic commitment to European space leadership.
October 29, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Building on its strong expertise in security and resilience, Poland is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in ESA’s European Resilience from Space initiative at ESA's Ministerial Council, a timely opportunity to reaffirm its long-term strategic commitment to European space leadership.
Cyprus is expected to gain full Associate Member status in the coming months. Welcome to ESA!
www.esa.int/About_Us/Cor...
www.esa.int/About_Us/Cor...
October 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Cyprus is expected to gain full Associate Member status in the coming months. Welcome to ESA!
www.esa.int/About_Us/Cor...
www.esa.int/About_Us/Cor...
Today, at the #ParisAirShow and in the context of a changing geopolitical landscape, I met with Acting Administrator Janet Petro. ESA and NASA have a long-standing relationship, spanning not only decades but missions from the full spectrum of space activities.
June 16, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Today, at the #ParisAirShow and in the context of a changing geopolitical landscape, I met with Acting Administrator Janet Petro. ESA and NASA have a long-standing relationship, spanning not only decades but missions from the full spectrum of space activities.
Significant progress has been made by the ESA-European Comission task force on a future Earth Observation Government Service with the ESA Resilience from Space programme as a first implementation step for our November Ministerial Meeting: #CM25.
May 20, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Significant progress has been made by the ESA-European Comission task force on a future Earth Observation Government Service with the ESA Resilience from Space programme as a first implementation step for our November Ministerial Meeting: #CM25.
Today, in the context of #GLEX2025, @esa.int signed a Joint Statement of Intent on Human Exploration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...
esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...
May 7, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Today, in the context of #GLEX2025, @esa.int signed a Joint Statement of Intent on Human Exploration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...
esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...
Biomass antenna deployment selfie 👇
www.esa.int/Applications...
www.esa.int/Applications...
May 7, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Biomass antenna deployment selfie 👇
www.esa.int/Applications...
www.esa.int/Applications...
I had an introductory meeting with NASA's Acting Administrator, Janet Petro. ESA and NASA have a long-standing relationship with deep and well-established roots, NASA being ESA’s largest cooperation partner for many decades.
April 8, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I had an introductory meeting with NASA's Acting Administrator, Janet Petro. ESA and NASA have a long-standing relationship with deep and well-established roots, NASA being ESA’s largest cooperation partner for many decades.
I presented to ESA Council the 1st data from @esa.int's Euclid mission. This dataset includes 26 million galaxies, including a catalogue of more than 380 000 galaxies and the first catalogue of 500 galaxy-galaxy strong lenses, created using AI algorithms trained by the effort of 10k volunteers.
🅰️🧵👇
🅰️🧵👇
March 19, 2025 at 11:07 AM
I presented to ESA Council the 1st data from @esa.int's Euclid mission. This dataset includes 26 million galaxies, including a catalogue of more than 380 000 galaxies and the first catalogue of 500 galaxy-galaxy strong lenses, created using AI algorithms trained by the effort of 10k volunteers.
🅰️🧵👇
🅰️🧵👇
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit" -the great Stephen Hawking
Martian moon Deimos appears to cross Mars in this sequence of Asteroid Framing Camera images taken by the @esa.int's Hera, showing a rarely glimpsed side of the tidally-locked moon.
Martian moon Deimos appears to cross Mars in this sequence of Asteroid Framing Camera images taken by the @esa.int's Hera, showing a rarely glimpsed side of the tidally-locked moon.
March 14, 2025 at 10:41 AM
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit" -the great Stephen Hawking
Martian moon Deimos appears to cross Mars in this sequence of Asteroid Framing Camera images taken by the @esa.int's Hera, showing a rarely glimpsed side of the tidally-locked moon.
Martian moon Deimos appears to cross Mars in this sequence of Asteroid Framing Camera images taken by the @esa.int's Hera, showing a rarely glimpsed side of the tidally-locked moon.
Thank you to the Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie T. Myrseth and to Christian Hauglie-Hanssen from the Norwegian Space Agency and all their teams for implementing a strategic and successful conference.
February 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Thank you to the Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie T. Myrseth and to Christian Hauglie-Hanssen from the Norwegian Space Agency and all their teams for implementing a strategic and successful conference.
Today, I met with Norwegian stakeholders from government, industry and academia to discuss the state of play of Norwegian space policy and how that best fits with ESA's experience and expertise.
February 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Today, I met with Norwegian stakeholders from government, industry and academia to discuss the state of play of Norwegian space policy and how that best fits with ESA's experience and expertise.
Norway recognizes the strategic importance of space, demonstrated by increased investment in Andøya spaceport, aiming to enable the launch of payloads into LEO within 2025. Their expertise in maritime awareness and arctic and climate understanding, makes them an essential partner for ESA and Europe.
February 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Norway recognizes the strategic importance of space, demonstrated by increased investment in Andøya spaceport, aiming to enable the launch of payloads into LEO within 2025. Their expertise in maritime awareness and arctic and climate understanding, makes them an essential partner for ESA and Europe.
🌌Einstein Ring Discovered by @esa.int's Euclid in galaxy NGC 6505 "just" 590 million light-years from Earth, which relatively speaking, is quite close! The newly discovered ring is made up of light from a previously unobserved galaxy 4.42 billion light-years away.
February 10, 2025 at 1:01 PM
🌌Einstein Ring Discovered by @esa.int's Euclid in galaxy NGC 6505 "just" 590 million light-years from Earth, which relatively speaking, is quite close! The newly discovered ring is made up of light from a previously unobserved galaxy 4.42 billion light-years away.
What's the big deal? It's surprising that these SNRs were found so far from other known SNRs within the Large Magellanic Cloud. Standard belief is that a supernova's shock wave leaves a significant imprint if the dying star is in an environment rich in ionized gas, rare in the outskirts of galaxies.
February 6, 2025 at 4:08 PM
What's the big deal? It's surprising that these SNRs were found so far from other known SNRs within the Large Magellanic Cloud. Standard belief is that a supernova's shock wave leaves a significant imprint if the dying star is in an environment rich in ionized gas, rare in the outskirts of galaxies.
When a star reaches end of life, it can explode in a supernova, generating a shock wave which can result in a supernova remnant (SNR). ESA's XMM-Newton, tasked with studying stars at all stages of their lives, has now found two stray SNRs in the far reaches of our neighbouring galaxy 👀
February 6, 2025 at 4:08 PM
When a star reaches end of life, it can explode in a supernova, generating a shock wave which can result in a supernova remnant (SNR). ESA's XMM-Newton, tasked with studying stars at all stages of their lives, has now found two stray SNRs in the far reaches of our neighbouring galaxy 👀
In addition to their growing leadership in space, Poland is forward-thinking with an impressive STEM outreach and education culture, aimed at inspiring young people to pursue careers in STEM, as witnessed today at the mesmerising Copernicus Science Centre where I met a cool new friend 🤖
February 5, 2025 at 2:38 PM
In addition to their growing leadership in space, Poland is forward-thinking with an impressive STEM outreach and education culture, aimed at inspiring young people to pursue careers in STEM, as witnessed today at the mesmerising Copernicus Science Centre where I met a cool new friend 🤖
This Polish mission to the ISS will cover a wide span of scientific fields, including in the areas of Human Research, Biology, Biotech, Material Sciences, and various technology demonstrations. Learn about the Igniss mission an the #AX-4 crew:
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
February 5, 2025 at 2:38 PM
This Polish mission to the ISS will cover a wide span of scientific fields, including in the areas of Human Research, Biology, Biotech, Material Sciences, and various technology demonstrations. Learn about the Igniss mission an the #AX-4 crew:
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
In Warsaw today to discuss the growing Polish and European space leadership. The best space ambassadors are astronauts, and I look forward to the #Ax4 launch featuring the first Polish technological and scientific mission to the ISS, with ESA Project Astronaut – Slawosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
February 5, 2025 at 2:38 PM
In Warsaw today to discuss the growing Polish and European space leadership. The best space ambassadors are astronauts, and I look forward to the #Ax4 launch featuring the first Polish technological and scientific mission to the ISS, with ESA Project Astronaut – Slawosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
The @esascience.bsky.social Gaia mission recently finished its sky-scanning phase, having made more than three trillion observations of around two billion stars and other objects, ultimately transforming and revolutionising our understanding of the Milky Way and our cosmic neighborhood.
February 4, 2025 at 11:17 AM
The @esascience.bsky.social Gaia mission recently finished its sky-scanning phase, having made more than three trillion observations of around two billion stars and other objects, ultimately transforming and revolutionising our understanding of the Milky Way and our cosmic neighborhood.