In conversation with: Dr. Stephan Mayer, Head of the ESA PB SSA

Dr. Stephan Mayer has chaired the ESA Programme Board Space Situational Awareness since September 2020. In this exclusive podcast, the Austrian talks about his tasks, Austria's role in the programme, and how ESA ensures that we are safe.

Stephan Mayer (FFG-ALR) was elected as the new Chair for the next two years on September 15, 2020. The overall objective of ESA's Space Situational Awareness Program (now Space Safety Program) is to contribute to the increased protection of the Earth - especially critical infrastructures - against hazards from space in the European and international context. In this context, the Space Safety Program includes the following focus areas: Space Weather, Near Earth Objects, and Clean Space and Space Debris. 

Stephan Mayer has participated in this comparatively young program council of ESA - the first meeting took place in March 2009 - as an Austrian delegate since the beginning. He has thus been able to shape all developments and decisions in this increasingly important field from the very beginning. In his function, he has supported with great commitment the establishment of a scene of internationally recognized players in Austria.

The British research center for space law and -policy, the Centre for a Spacefaring Civilization, focuses among other things, on the sustainability and security of space, and therefore invited Dr. Stephan Mayer as a guest on their podcast for Austria in Space.

In an interview with Lauren Napier, the Austrian went into more detail about the Program Board Space Situational Awareness, its challenges but also opportunities under the new ESA Director General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, new missions and Austria's competencies in space security. We have summarized the highlights here in the video.

In conversation with Dr. Stephan Mayer

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For everyone who wants to hear more: 

You can listen to the entire Interview as Podcast on Patreon for free! 
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About the Centre for a Spacefaring Civilization 

Founded as a way to continue and maintain a productive and fruitful partnership formed between Thomas Cheney, Executive Director, and Lauren Napier, Programme Director, during their time as co-leads of the Space Generation Advisory Council's Space Law and Policy Project Group. The Centre for a Spacefaring Civilization is an independent think tank and research centre focused on space law and policy, specifically those issues that need to be addressed in order for humanity to become a spacefaring civilization. It takes a holistic and multidisciplinary view of the field and promotes the sustainable and equitable development of space, keeping in mind the interests of all nations and peoples. The centre is headquartered in the United Kingdom but is virtually operated and globally focused. The Centre for a Spacefaring Civilization aims to be a credible and objective source of leadership and information on space law and policy topics. It takes a global, long term, and multidisciplinary approach to these issues and seek to forge relations based on mutual respect, trust, and transparency.

You can learn more about the Centre on their Website, Facebook or Twitter