Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), accompanied by ESA astronaut Dr Rosemary Coogan, visited the Northern Ireland stand at the Farnborough International Airshow to meet Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly BL MLA and representatives from 12 innovative Northern Ireland companies.
The visit highlighted the strength of Northern Ireland’s growing space sector, which has been built on decades of engineering excellence and continues to develop a strong reputation for innovation, advanced manufacturing and space-related technologies.
During the visit, Robert Hill, Director of the Northern Ireland Space Office and Chair of Matrix, presented the Matrix Space Report to the ESA Director General. Mr Aschbacher immediately acknowledged Dr Coogan’s contribution to the report, underlining the importance of Northern Ireland’s connections with the wider European space community.
Emma Little-Pengelly (Deputy First Minister), Josef Aschbacher (Director General, ESA), Dr Rosemary Coogan (Astronaut, ESA)
The engagement provided an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of Northern Ireland’s space ecosystem and to demonstrate the region’s ambition to play an increasingly significant role in the global space industry.