Jean-Jacques Dordain

Jean -Jacques Dordain ( born April 14, 1946) Since July 2003, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA ); his term of office was renewed again in June 2010 to June 2015.

Dordain completed his engineering education from the École Centrale Paris in 1968. He began his career at the French Air and Space research institute ONERA ( Office National d' Study and Research aérospatiales ), where he studied mainly to liquid propellant rocket engines and microgravity. From 1973 to 1987 he was also a professor at the École nationale supérieure de l' aéronautique et de l' espace. From 1977 to 1993 he taught mechanical engineering at the Ecole polytechnique.

In 1982 he became head of the Directorate of General Physics ONERA. During this time he also chaired a number of committees of inquiry that should clarify the time of his frequent failure of the European Ariane rocket.

His career at ESA began in 1986 when he was appointed head of the Department of microgravity and space station use ( Microgravity and Space Station Utilisation Department). After that, he was deputy director for strategy, planning and policies for international cooperation as well as director of strategic and technical assessments (Director for Strategy and Technical Assessment) of the European Space Agency. He was appointed Director of Launchers (Director for launchers ) 2001.

Jean -Jacques Dordain is a member of the French Académie des Technologies and the Académie Nationale de l'Air et de l' Espace. In addition, he serves as Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation.