Europe’s space agency has backed new senior appointments, expanded international cooperation and opened talks on a proposed crewed astronaut mission concept after its governing Council met in Paris on 16–17 June.
The meeting was chaired for the final time by Renato Krpoun, with Juan Carlos Cortés set to take over as Council Chair at delegate level from 1 July 2026, the European Space Agency announced on Wednesday.
Member states appointed Christine Klein as Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement from 1 July 2026.
They also appointed Jean-Luc Trullemans as Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs, with his mandate due to start on 1 January 2027.
Member states agreed that an Interim Council meeting at Ministerial level will be held in Italy in December 2026.
The agency said the December gathering will be used by member states to define a European exploration roadmap for the coming years.
Talks opened on EPIC astronaut mission concept
Member states agreed ESA may enter into negotiations with potential partners and providers on the EPIC mission concept — short for ESA Provided Institutional Crew — the agency said.
EPIC is envisaged as a professional astronaut mission lasting one month and would provide flight opportunities for ESA astronauts and astronauts from international partners.
The Council also extended ESA support for Greece’s national satellite programme until 2031 and approved an additional €361 million for the continuation and expansion of activities.
The programme covers national work in Earth observation, telecommunications and space situational awareness — a term used for tracking and understanding objects and risks in space — according to the agency.
Cooperation between ESA and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization on using Earth observation data for food and agriculture was extended for a further five years, until 2031.
An agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation was extended and amended until January 2032, broadening cooperation to include human and robotic exploration, space weather and the sustainability of outer space activities, while continuing work in areas including space science and Earth observation.
The Council also approved the public release of ESA’s status report on Space Safety.
