In June 2025, the ESA Living Planet Symposium was held in the presence of ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes Simonetta Cheli, with international leaders in attendance who shaped space and the golden age of Earth observation. During the session “50 years of ESA/100 years of Roy Gibson, Roy Gibson - The golden age of Earth observation”, moderated by Volker Liebig, a new initiative was announced: the Roy Gibson Fellowship on Space Policy.
The fellowship, named after Roy Gilbson, ESA’s first Director General from 1975 to 1980, recognises the fundamental importance of space policy and diplomacy at a time of unprecedented geopolitical and geo-economic change, which also affects the space sector. Its purpose is to structure excellence in research and policy analysis that will contribute to the ESA’s overall vision of building a strong Europe as a reliable partner for the world.
For further information, please refer to the following address:
https://www.espi.or.at/roy-gibson-fellowship-on-space-policy