“The Space Summit gave me the mandate to establish a High-Level Advisory Group on Human and Robotic Space Exploration for Europe – and I see this as an outstanding opportunity to prepare a far-reaching decision by our Member States on the future of Europe in space exploration,” says Josef Aschbacher.

“I very much appreciate the readiness of outstanding group members to provide their diverse and unmatched expertise to make the case for a new, much stronger role of Europe in human and robotic space exploration.”

The group is due to meet twice in 2022 – in September and November – so that its work can inform decisions taken at the ESA Council of Ministers held towards the end of November 2022.

It will then meet again in January 2023 and publish a report in March 2023 that will inform the deliberations of a Space Summit that is foreseen to take place as a joint ESA-EU Space Council in the second half of 2023.

Kai-Uwe Schrogl, ESA’s Special Advisor for Political Affairs, says: “The decisions at the Space Summit 2023, initiated by ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher, are expected to open up a new era for European space exploration, autonomous but also ready for cooperation with traditional partners and new ones.”

The 12 members of the group are: Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Education and formerly of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research; Erling Kagge, an explorer who was the first person to reach on foot all three “poles” (the North Pole, the South Pole and Mount Everest); Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London and Founding Director of the Institute for for Innovation and Public Purpose; Maria Theresia Niss, Member of the National Council of Austria and Incoming Chair of the European Inter-Parliamentary Space Conference; Cedric O, Former Secretary of State for the Digital Sector of France; Chris Rapley, Professor of Climate Science at University College London and Chair of the European Science Foundation’s European Space Sciences Committee; Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO Secretary General and former Prime Minister of Denmark; Anna Rathsman, Chair of ESA Council and Director General of the Swedish National Space Agency; Tomasz Rozek, a science communicator; Francois Schuiten, a best-selling comic book artist; Christoph Schweizer, Chief Executive Officer of Boston Consulting Group; and Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum.