Josef Aschbacher

Birthplace: Ellmau, Austria
Director General, European Space Agency (ESA)

“Today, we face unprecedented societal, economic and security challenges. Space – and the technology produced for it or by it – has enormous untapped potential to tackle these challenges and future crises, while also creating jobs and boosting innovation throughout Europe.” 

Josef Aschbacher studied at the University of Innsbruck, graduating with both a Master’s and PhD degree in natural sciences. He has had an accomplished international career in space, with a combined 35 years of experience working at the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission, the Austrian Space Agency, the Asian Institute of Technology and the University of Innsbruck.  

As Director General of ESA, Josef is responsible for defining, implementing and developing Europe’s space infrastructure and activities. These include launchers, satellites performing Earth observation, navigation, telecommunication and space science, together with robotic exploration and ESA astronauts working on the International Space Station. He oversees an annual budget of €7 billion and a workforce of 5 500 people across several sites, principally in Europe. 

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