N° 3–2022: Media Opportunities: Space Summit
9 February 2022
European leaders will reaffirm plans to launch Europe on a world-leading trajectory during a high-level ‘Space Summit’ to be held on 16 February in Toulouse, France.
Media are invited to follow the speeches of ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, A press event for the ESA and EU meetings, both chaired by the French Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire, will be organised at the end of the Summit for journalists to attend online.
Leaders attending the Space Summit plan to discuss the European Commission proposal for secure connectivity and space traffic management. They will also exchange views on ESA’s three ‘accelerators’ and two ‘inspirators’ identified by Josef Aschbacher, who has collaborated with a high-level advisory group to provide guidance on the use space for Europe’s future.
The Summit consists of two parts, a formal ESA Council Meeting at ministerial level, attended by government ministers and their representatives from ESA Member States and an informal EU Competitive Council Meeting on space, attended by government ministers and their representatives from EU member states.
Draft programme 16 February 2022 (all times in CET)
EU COMPET (informal Meeting at Ministerial Level - NOT Broadcast)
10:00–12:30
EU Space Traffic Management and Secure Connectivity
•Presentation by the EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton
•Presentation by the ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher
•Exchange of views between the Ministers
Informal lunch at ministerial level
12:30–14:00
Climate change (Recorded)
Keynote speech by the EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and Benoît Deper, Founder and CEO Aerospacelab
Space exploration (Recorded)
Keynote speech from ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, introduced by Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General
Keynote speech by Hélène Huby, CEO ‘The Exploration Company’
ESA Meeting at Ministerial Level
15:15 - 17:55
Opening by Chair Bruno le Maire, French Minister of Economy (Broadcast-tbc)
Accelerating the use of space in Europe by Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General (Broadcast-tbc)
Statements of Member States, the EU and Observers (NOT Broadcast-tbc)
Press Conference (Broadcast)
17:30 - 18:45
French Presidency of the European Union
European Commission
ESA Director General
Accreditation
Media representatives are invited to register at the following link:
https://presidence-francaise.consilium.europa.eu/en/media/media-accreditation/
More information
ESA Agenda 2025
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Publications/Agenda_2025
ESA Vision
https://vision.esa.int/prepare-the-future-of-space/
EC Proposal for secure connectivity
EC Proposal for Space Traffic Management
Contact
If you have further questions or interview requests, please contact media@esa.int.
Social media
Hashtag #SpaceSummit, #SpaceAmbition
Twitter: @AschbacherJosef @esa
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency
YouTube: ESA
Images
ESA's Photo Library for Professionals:
https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/
Terms and conditions for using ESA images: https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly:
spaceinimages@esa.int
Videos
ESA's Video Library for Professionals:
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:
https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@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, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members.
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.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int
For further information:
ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Ninja Menning
Email: media@esa.int
Tel: +31 71 565 6409