Director General ESA: Johann-Dietrich Wörner

Space exploration has been a token of global leadership since the Cold War. However, private companies are increasingly seeing space as a new market outside of our planetary boundaries. With the emergence of astropreneurship, the market structure in the space industry has changed drastically. Companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic have been able to cut costs through technological advancement and are challenging old space monopolies. However, this drive for privatisation has been largely led by US-based companies, with Europe falling behind. On the 21st of February, we have the honour to be discussing future of Europe in space with the director general of the European Space Agency, dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner.