VIENNA, AUSTRIA, 16 September 2022 – SGAC is very pleased and honoured to announce that the European Space Agency (ESA) has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 SGAC SpaceGen Ambassador Award!
Through the SpaceGen Ambassador Award programme, SGAC wants to acknowledge organisations that deeply care for our generation, our talents, skills and needs that actively support us as the ‘next’ generation of space leaders, empower us as such and enable us to grow. The award is presented to an organisation from the space sector, either governmental, non-governmental, or private company that demonstrates genuine care for the next generation, actively supporting and empowering young space professionals and students.
ESA has been a longstanding sponsor and partner of SGAC, greatly contributing to SGAC’s mandate of providing a platform for growth and engagement for our members around the world to gain skills that prove essential to their future careers.
For these reasons, SGAC is thrilled to present the 2022 edition of this Award to ESA, congratulating its employees and representatives, vital for making the organisation a true SpaceGen Ambassador!
Josef Aschbacher, European Space Agency Director General, said:
“SGAC is a key partner of ESA and remains instrumental in enticing the young generation, ultimately securing humankind’s future on Earth and in space”
Anthony Yuen, SGAC Chair, remarked on the award presentation saying:
“The European Space Agency has been a long-time partner and supporter in the mission of SGAC. We are grateful for their investment in the next generation and the space leaders of tomorrow. Because of the steady contribution and engagement of many experts and leaders within ESA, many SGAC members had go on to join the agency to further our collective vision of space exploration and utilising space for the benefit of Earth. We thank the European Space Agency and congratulations on this award.”
Hamza Hameed, SGAC Co-Chair, upon learning about the award, noted:
“SGAC and ESA have been longstanding partners and we are incredibly happy to be recognising ESA with this award. ESA has provided incredible support to the next generation of students and young professionals in the space sector. and SGAC is very thankful to them for their kind support of our work.”
Davide Petrillo, SGAC Executive Director, commented on the news saying:
“It’s through collaborations like the European Space Agency that we will continue to inspire and learn from the next generation and strengthen the future talents with this important partnership. The European Space Agency has been a long-standing sponsor and partner of SGAC, and has greatly contributed to SGAC’s mandate of providing a platform for growth and engagement for our members around the world to gain skills that prove essential to their future careers. SGAC is grateful that so many of ESA’s representatives go above and beyond to share their knowledge and dedicate their time to SGAC. Special mention must be made of Ms. Maria-Gabriella Sarah, Ms. Isabelle Duveaux-Bechon and last, but not least, a special mention goes especially to the ESA Director General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, who is always willing to give his valuable time to network with our members and support the growth of our organisation.”
The 2022 SGAC SpaceGen Ambassador Award was presented at the closing ceremony of the 20th Space Generation Congress (SGC), held on 16th September 2022, in Paris, France. The SGC is the annual meeting of the Space Generation Advisory Council always held in conjunction with the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) at the same hosting Country.
About SGAC
The Space Generation Advisory Council in Support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications is a global non-governmental, non-profit (US 501(c)3) organisation and network which aims to represent university students and young space professionals ages 18-35 to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the SGAC network of members, volunteers and alumni has grown to more than 20 000 members representing more than 165 countries.
About ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA is an international organisation with 22 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.
In short, ESA’s job is to draw up the European space programme and carry it through. ESA’s programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. ESA also works closely with space organisations outside Europe.
Nominations for the SpaceGen Ambassador Award will be open again in 2023.
For info, please contact [email protected].