Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), outlines the agency’s direction in a new one-to-one interview published during IAC 2025. The 14-minute segment, extracted from Plenary 1 of the 76th International Astronautical Congress, offers insights into ESA’s strategic vision and near-term focus areas for Europe’s space sector. The video was released on 29 September 2025 and is available with captions and download options via ESA’s multimedia platform.
Context: IAC 2025 Plenary 1
The interview forms part of the heads-of-agencies programming at the International Astronautical Congress, a global forum where national and international space leaders present updates, review challenges, and set the tone for cross-border collaboration. ESA’s contribution highlights the agency’s current outlook amid a fast-evolving landscape in launch, science, Earth observation, exploration, and commercial space.
What the interview covers
According to ESA’s description, the discussion shares insights into ESA’s strategic vision. As a compact, stand-alone segment drawn from Plenary 1, it serves as a focused update for industry stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers tracking Europe’s programmatic direction and international partnerships.
Notable details
- Format: One-to-one interview with ESA’s Director General, extracted from Plenary 1 of the 76th IAC.
- Runtime: 00:14:08.
- Release date: 29/09/2025.
- Accessibility: Closed captions available via the player; multilingual auto-subtitles supported.
- Availability: Downloadable MP4 options (including a higher-bitrate source file) are provided on ESA’s page.
- Credits: The page credits the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
- Related programming: A longer Plenary 1 session video (01:34:14) is listed among related content.
Access and availability
ESA hosts the interview on its multimedia portal with standard playback and sharing features. Viewers can select captions via the player controls. A non-YouTube version is also available, and cookie settings may affect playback quality and sharing functionality.
The full details and video are available on the ESA source page.
Why it matters for the space industry
Heads-of-agency exchanges at IAC are closely watched by industry, research institutions, and government customers. They often frame operational priorities, signal areas for international cooperation, and provide high-level guidance to suppliers and partners. This release gives a concise snapshot of ESA’s current outlook and prepares stakeholders for deeper engagements across the congress agenda.
