Professor Lorraine Hanlon of University College Dublin (UCD) has been appointed Chair of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space Science Advisory Committee. She was nominated by ESA Director of Science Carole Mundell and appointed by Director General Josef Aschbacher.
The committee is the senior advisory body to ESA’s Director of Science, advising on scientific priorities, future missions and the long-term direction of Europe’s space science programme. As Chair, Hanlon will lead advice on the mandatory science programme, identify the needs of the European scientific community and help select future missions.
Hanlon directs C-Space, UCD’s Centre for Space Research, and is Full Professor of Astronomy. She previously chaired ESA’s Astronomy Working Group, served on the committee from 2019 to 2023, has advised the Irish delegation to ESA’s Science Programme Committee since 2011 and was the endorsing professor for EIRSAT-1, Ireland’s first satellite.
