On occasion of recent Paris Air & Space Show 2015, Fernando Doblas gave an interview on what’s currently and in future exciting for him at ESA, reflected on the challenges of managing a ‘multi-partnership’ organisation, outlined the Ariane 6 programme plus other continuing and upcoming projects like the Copernicus Sentinel family of satellites and ExoMars, and explained how funding of ESA works.

He concludes: “Space is finally getting out of the Ivory Tower and is more and more connecting with the needs of society and economy, which are in an explosive evolution – and Space has many things to say in this domain.”