N° 31–2024: Media invitation: ESA highlights at ILA Berlin 2024

Highlights of ILA Berlin’s Space Pavilion this year are Innovation, New Technology, Sustainability, Digitalisation and Commercialisation, Safety and Security and International Cooperation in Exploration and Research. 

Ministries, leading aerospace companies, space agencies, academic players, etc. will jointly present their innovations and the latest developments for space and defence. The entire event will take place from 5 to 9 June at the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) – www.ila-berlin.de

On 5 June at 10:45, the ESA/BDLI/DLR Space Pavilion will be opened by Anna Christmann, German Federal Aerospace Coordinator, in the presence of ESA DG Josef Aschbacher, DLR officials as well as ESA astronauts Samantha Cristoforetti, Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer. Media are cordially invited to this opening event. Anna Christmann will then give a high-level Space Talk at 11:00, focusing on “Strategic Autonomy for Europe and Germany's Role - Space as a State Responsibility”.

ESA's kick-off press conference with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher will be held on 5 June at 13:45 until 14:30, in the Business Lounge of the Space Pavilion, followed by interview opportunities. ESA Directors as well as ESA astronauts Samantha Cristoforetti, Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer will be present and available for interviews. ESA and its partners will also announce the more precise launch date of Europe's new heavy launcher Ariane 6 on this day.

Various high-level guests and ministers, including German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Federal Minister for Climate and Economic Affairs Robert Habeck, and Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius are expected to visit the ILA Space Pavilion throughout the first day.

Thursday, 6 June will focus on space safety and security matters, but also on international cooperation, climate change and the overall Green Deal. Various compelling panels await you on this day. ESA DG Josef Aschbacher will talk about Space Mega Trends and the role of Germany and Europe from 10:30, together with Walther Pelzer (Director General of DLR Space Agency) and Prof. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair Executive Board, DLR (German Aerospace Centre).

From 12.30-12.45, ESA DG Josef Aschbacher and ESA Director of Operations, Rolf Densing, will sign the Zero Debris Charter on the ILA Space Stage, with the participation of ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, former ESA Inter-Agencies Coordinator and former Advisor to ESA DG.

On 6 June, a discussion panel on Launchers, European access to space, will take place from 15.30 featuring ESA Director for Space Transportation, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, French space agency CNES and Industry.

Friday, 7 June is the ILA Space Connections Day, but also ILA Astronauts Day. A series of presentations and exchanges with the audience will take place during the day. The Space Connections Day focuses on New Space, ESA commercialisation ambitions - this includes start-ups and SMEs, new industries and investors alike. ESA Astronauts Samantha Cristoforetti and Thomas Pesquet will be present and available for further press interviews.

On Saturday, 8 June and Sunday 9 June, ILA will open its doors to the general public. You can expect an exciting space programme for the public and new talents, for young and old, with a focus on launchers, Earth Observation missions, astronauts, science missions, career opportunities in space and much more. 

Media programme & mandatory registration 

Media representatives are requested to register via the following link:

Akkreditierung | ILA Berlin (ila-berlin.de) 

Please kindly note that there will be no accreditation on site! 

Programme: https://www.ila-berlin.de/en/ila-stages 

For more information, please contact: 

Patrick Keller, BDLI e.V., Head of Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49-30-206140-14 Email: keller@bdli.de X: @bdlipresse / www.ila-berlin.de 

Bernhard von Weyhe, Senior Media Relations Officer ESA
Tel. +49-6151-902285, Bernhard.von.Weyhe@esa.int & Simona.Nichiteanu@ext.esa.int
www.esa.de 

Images

ESA's Photo Library for Professionals:
https://photolibrary.esa.int/home-page/

Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
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.

Social media

Twitter: @ESA
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency 
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency 
YouTube: ESA 
LinkedIn: European Space Agency - ESA 
Pinterest: European Space Agency - ESA 

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. Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia are Associate Members. 

ESA has established formal cooperation with four 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