N° 38–2024: Media invitation: ESA at Farnborough International Airshow

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher will be in the UK at FIA on 22 and 23 July 2024, to discuss the ambitions and challenges of Europe in space as well as plans for ESA’s UK facility ECSAT, which plays a pivotal role leveraging space to improve life on Earth. Rosemary Coogan, ESA's new UK astronaut, and John McFall, UK astronaut reserve and part of ESA’s feasibility study 'Fly!' to improve and overcome the barriers spaceflight presents for astronauts with a physical disability, will also be present.

Other ESA Directors participating at FIA include Prof. Carole Mundell, Director of Science, Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes and Laurent Jaffart, Head of ESA/ECSAT in Harwell and Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications.

ESA ECSAT in the UK is home to ESA’s Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications which uses space to securely connect everybody, everything everywhere at any time. This includes ESA’s Moonlight programme to develop an infrastructure – including a dedicated constellation of lunar satellites – to deliver communications and navigation services for future lunar missions. Located in Oxfordshire, ECSAT also hosts ESA’s flagship 5G/6G Hub, a research and demonstration facility that spurs industry collaboration to advance the 5G digital transformation and prepare for the development of 6G.

ESA’s Directorate for Earth Observation, which includes a Climate Office team in Harwell, will inform about the recent, first results of the most complex Earth Explorer mission ever launched, EarthCARE. EarthCARE comprises strong UK contributions from industry, science and user communities. To be noted is also the upcoming launch of the new Arctic Weather Satellite and of Phisat-2. Phisat-2 aims to demonstrate how AI technologies can advance observing Earth from space (industry prime Open Cosmos UK).

With the recent success of Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6, ESA has restored independent access to space for Europe. Ariane 6 made its inaugural flight from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on 9 July. Join us at FIA as we celebrate this historic milestone for Europe.

FIA will take place from Monday to Friday, 22-26 July 2024 at Farnborough, south-west of London: https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/

Mandatory Media registration with FIA: Media representatives are requested to register for FIA via the following link by Wednesday, 17 July 2024 a.o.b.: https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/visit/media-centre/media-accreditation/

Media contacts

For interview requests for the ESA Director General, ESA Directors and Astronauts please contact media@esa.int and bernhard.von.weyhe@esa.int

FIA Space Zone agenda here - Space Zone at FIA2024 | Farnborough International Airshow (farnboroughairshow.com)

ESA activities for journalists (all times in local BST)

Monday 22 July:

13:00-13:40 – Opening keynotes with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and with Paul Bate, CEO UK Space Agency. Topics include European ambitions in space, the ESA footprint in the UK - in the presence of UK ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan. (Location: Space Zone Theatre, hall 4)

14:00 – 14:45 – ESA Press briefing, kick-off at FIA 2024 - with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, UK ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan and ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell, ESA Director for Earth Observation, Simonetta Cheli as well as David Parker, ESA ECSAT Development Manager.

(Location: FIA main Media centre, hall 1, 1st floor, room Innovate 1) 

Tuesday 23 July:

10:00 – Presentation of ESA ECSAT declaration brochure – with Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications and Head of ECSAT, David Parker, ECSAT Development Manager and Paul Bate, CEO UK Space Agency (Location: Space Zone Theatre, hall 4).

Presence of ESA DG Josef Aschbacher and of senior UK government officials.

The European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) is located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus within a cluster of over 100 space organisations including the UK Space Agency. ECSAT leads ESA’s work on commercial satellite telecommunications, hosts the Climate Office and promotes the practical uses of space data in everyday life.

11:35 – 12:30 – Panel with Prof. Carole Mundell ESA Director of Science – 'Ever expanding horizons'. Reflections on the recent success and international collaboration in space science, incl. NASA's Associate Administrator for Science Nicola Fox (Location: Space Zone Theatre).

Wednesday 24 July:

10:30 – 11:20 - Panel: 'The new and expanding space economy' with Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications and Head of ECSAT (Space Zone Theatre) 

11:30 – 12:20    Panel on 'Mars to Moon Exploration' with Didier Schmidt, Head of Strategy and Coordination Group, ESA Directorate for Human and Robotic Exploration (Space Zone Theatre)

12:30 – 13:20 – Panel: 'From Earth observation to Earth action' with Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes (Space Zone Theatre) 

13:30 – 14:30 – Panel: 'Women in the space sector – experiences, challenges and opportunities' with Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation

14:45 – 15:00 (Space Zone, ESA stand, hall 4) – 'ESA and Seamless Air Alliance MoI signature' – with Laurent Jaffart (ESA Director CSC and Head of ECSAT) and Jack Mandala (CEO of SAA, Seamless Air Alliance). The Seamless Alliance was formed to accelerate the introduction of technologies on board aircraft to enable passengers to use their connected devices (smart phones, tablets, laptops, watches, IoT devices), in a seamless way - in line with ESA Space for 5G/6G programme and Direct-to-Device (D2D) initiative.

Thursday 25 July:

13:00 – 13:30: Fireside discussion between Laurent Jaffart (Director CSC and Head of ECSAT) and Kappil Mittal (CEO Ericsson Drone Mobility) on space-based connectivity (Location: Space Zone Theatre, hall 4)

Friday 26 July:

10:30 – 11:15 - Panel/talk (tbc) with John McFall, ESA Astronaut Reserve and part of ESA’s feasibility study 'Fly!' to improve and overcome the barriers spaceflight presents for astronauts with a physical disability. Further details and astronaut participations in this event tbc. Location: Hall 1, main stage

12:00 – 13:00 – 'Meet the astronauts' details tbc. Location: Hall 1, main stage and nearby. Further details and astronaut participation in this event tbc.

ESA Media Contacts:

For questions and interview requests please contact:

Media team contact email: media@esa.int (general interview requests)

Bernhard von Weyhe – bernhard.von.weyhe@esa.int  (focus ESA DG, 22-23 July)

Taylor Willis – taylor.willis@ext.esa.int (available from 22 July, at FIA all week)

Eleonora Rossi – eleonora.rossi@ext.esa.int (for astronaut requests)

Social Media 

Follow ESA on: 
Twitter: @ESA @AstroJohnMcFall @iamfivetoes
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency John McFall
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency John McFall
YouTube: ESA 
LinkedIn: European Space Agency - ESA Daniel Neuenschwander | LinkedIn
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