Space Cafe “33 minutes with…”

Our Space Café WebTalk “33 minutes with Paul Liias – Is space legal in Estonia and why should you come to Tallinn for Halloween?” took place on Tuesday, 17th October 2023. Paul Liias is the Head of Space policy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication. Paul has created the Estonian Space Policy and Program 2020-2027. Today, he is working on Estonian national space legislation and a decentralized e-government solution for Space Traffic Management.

Margit Mischkulnig, Austria's foremost figure in space affairs, heads the Space Department at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology (BMK). She brings expertise in economics and industrial policy to the dynamic world of politics. In the fast-paced arena of politics, brevity is key, and Margit's approach, "get to the point," is well-suited for the Department for Space Affairs.

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Josef Aschbacher  – European Space Ambitions – ESA Agenda 2025, updates and goals” took place on the 7th July 2023. Josef Aschbacher earned both his Master’s degree and PhD in natural sciences from the University of Innsbruck. His impressive international career in the space sector spans over 35 years and encompasses work at the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission, the Austrian Space Agency, the Asian Institute of Technology, and the University of Innsbruck. 

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Kevin O’Connell – from zombie statistics to the trillion-dollar space economy” took place on Tuesday, 27th June. Kevin O’Connell has had a diverse career in many sectors in commerce and intelligence. He has spent over three decades working on space commercialisation, including in his role as the Director of the Office of Space commerce with the US Department of Commerce. 

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Enrico Stoll and Jens Berdermann – beauty and dangerous aspects of space” took place on Tuesday, 9th May. Prof. Enrico Stoll, Space Cafe returner and the Chair of Space Technology at the Technical University Berlin. And Dr. Jens Berdermann, the Acting Director and Department Head of the DLR Institute for Solar-Terrestrial Physics in Neustrelitz an hour and half north of Berlin. The space cafe took place at the 14th IAA Symposium on Small Satellites for Earth System Observation.

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Heloise Vertadier and Chris Johnson – Luna policy handbook: guiding responsible and sustainable development of the moon” took place on Tuesday, 10th April. The Lunar policy handbook is a reference guidebook for government personnel and private actors in the space industry. It is designed to be a high-level guide that is useful for a broad audience of space actors, outlining policy issues and operational considerations related to lunar activities.

Our Space Café “33 minutes with Dr Gilles Rabin – French-German Space: Of course, I still love you” took place on Tuesday, 28th March. Gilles is a distinguished economist and space advisor, currently serving at the French Embassy in Berlin. With an impressive career spanning over two decades, he has held key positions in urban planning, economic development, and innovation. His journey began at Bipe Conseil, followed by leadership roles in various urban communities including Nancy, Essone, Greater Lyon, and Nice Metropolis.  Gilles's expertise has been pivotal in advising ministers on decentralisation, SMEs, startups, and research. His tenure as Director of Innovation, Applications, and Science at CNES has further solidified his standing in the space sector.