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Paris, 11 December 2002
Press Release
Nø 80-2002

Mr Jean-Jacques Dordain to be Director General of ESA
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Today the Council of the European Space Agency announced the 
appointment of Mr Jean-Jacques Dordain as the next Director General of 
ESA, for a period of four years. He will succeed Mr Antonio Rodotà, 
whose term of office ends on 30 June next year.

Mr Jean-Jacques Dordain, a Frenchman born on 14 April 1946, obtained 
an engineering degree from the Ecole Centrale in 1968.  Before joining  
ESA in 1986, he held several positions at the Office National d'Etudes 
et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA): first, from 1970 to 1976, as 
researcher in the field of propulsion and launch vehicles;  then, from 
1976 to 1986, as coordinator of space activities; and finally, from 
1983 to 1986, as Director of Fundamental Physics. In 1977 he was 
selected by CNES among the first French astronaut candidates.

When he joined ESA in May 1986, he was appointed Head of the newly 
created Space Station and Platforms Promotion and Utilisation 
Department. He then became Head of the Microgravity and Columbus 
Utilisation Department, managing about 80 staff and overseeing 
numerous industrial activities. In 1993 he was appointed Associate 
Director for Strategy, Planning and

International Policy. In May 1999 he was appointed Director of the 
newly created Directorate of Strategy and Technical Assessment. On 15 
February 2001 he took up the post of Director of Launchers.

"I feel very honoured to have been appointed Director General of ESA 
and welcome this challenging opportunity. I have been working for the 
European Space Agency in various positions over the years. The current 
period offers good opportunities for ESA to be even more instrumental 
in building the future of European citizens and the success of Europe" 
said Mr Dordain.

Jean-Jacques Dordain is a member of the International Academy of
Astronautics and  the Académie des Technologies. He has also held
professorships at the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole Nationale
Supérieure des Techniques Avancées.

For further information, please contact:
ESA, Media Relations Service
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

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