N° 3–2017: Call for Media: Introducing ESA’s new astronaut
25 January 2017
Media are invited to ESA’s operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, for a press conference on 2 February at 11:00 CET (10:00 GMT) with the Agency’s latest recruit to its astronaut corps, Matthias Maurer. (editor's note: update time to 11:00 CET on 30/01/2017)
Matthias has a background in materials science engineering and was among the 10 finalists for ESA’s astronaut selection in 2009. He is already undergoing basic training in the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany.
ESA Director General Jan Woerner, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration David Parker, DLR board member Gerd Gruppe, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries, and Matthias Maurer will be present and answer questions.
Programme
10:30 Doors open
11:00 Welcome and introduction by Jan Woerner, ESA Director General
11:10 Statement from Brigitte Zypries, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, (editor's note: update function of Ms Zypries on 27/01/2017)
11:20 Statement from Gerd Gruppe, DLR board member
11:30 Statement from David Parker, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration
11:40 Statement and question and answer session with ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer
12:10 Interview opportunities
13:00 End of event
The event will be held at:
ESA/ESOC
Presscentre (H 05)
Robert-Bosch-Str. 5
64293 Darmstadt
Germany
Register for the event here:
https://myconvento.com/public/event_register/index/1588314
Media contact:
ESA/ESOC Communication Office
Tel: +49 6151 90 2516
Email: esoc.communication@esa.int
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia is an Associate Member.
ESA has established formal cooperation with six Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities.
Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space. ESA also has a strong applications programme developing services in the Earth observation, navigation and telecommunications domain.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int
For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
Tel: +33 1 53 69 72 99
Email: media@esa.int