The Coordinator of the Azores Mission for Space (EMA-Space), Luís Santos, was appointed today Vice-President of the Portuguese Space Agency - "Portugal Space," which will be chaired by Chiara Manfletti. Until now, she has held the position of adviser to the Director-General of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Paris.
The appointments were made during the first General Assembly of the Portuguese Space Agency that took place at the premises of "Portugal Space" at Laranjeiras Palace in Lisbon. The event was attended by the four founding members: the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the National Agency for Innovation (ANI), the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources (DGRDN) and the RAEGE Azores Association - Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations.
Luís Santos graduated in Electrotechnical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon School of Engineering). He is the Coordinator of the Azores Mission for Space, which is now part of the Portuguese Space Agency.
Chiara Manfletti graduated in Aeronautical Engineering at the Imperial College London. She holds a Master's Degree in Space Studies from the International Space University in Strasbourg, a Doctorate degree from the University of Aachen in Germany and Bachelor's degree from the Open University of the United Kingdom.
She worked at the French company SNECMA, at the German Space Agency (DLR) and joined ESA in 2016.
Chiara Manfletti is the third woman to chair a global space agency after Pascale Ehrenfreund, who served as President of the German Space Agency between 2015 and 2017, and Megan Clark, who was appointed in 2018 as President of the Australian Space Agency at the time of its creation.
The Fiscal Council of the Portuguese Space Agency also includes an Azorean member, Arnaldo Machado. Currently, he serves as President of the Board of Directors of NONAGON Association, the managing entity of São Miguel Science and Technology Park.
The first General Assembly of "Portugal Space" took place following the signing of the deed of merger by incorporation of the Portuguese Space Agency in Ponta Delgada on March 17. The meeting was attended by the President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, and the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor.
The creation of the Portuguese Space Agency was approved at the Council of Ministers on March 7 and stems from the partnership between the Portuguese Government and the Azorean Government with the collaboration of ESA.
"Portugal Space" (www.ptspace.pt) is responsible for promoting and implementing the Portugal Space 2030 Strategy and coordinating the management of various national programme in the field of Space. Moreover, it also aims to encourage investment, foster the creation of qualified jobs as well as to provide services related Space sciences and technologies in close coordination with the European Space Agency and the development of the Atlantic International Research Centre (AIR Centre).
The promotion of European space through international cooperation, namely with ESA and other European Space Agencies, and the implementation of the AZORES International Satellite launch Programme (AZORES ISLP) in partnership with ESA are other goals of this entity.
"Portugal Space" is based on the island of Santa Maria and its premises located in Lisbon at the Laranjeiras Palace. It is primarily intended to stimulate the Space sector in Portugal by creating conditions for the development of national capabilities not only in the context of space, namely the new space industries, but also in the context of scientific research, innovation, education and scientific culture related to space.