USRA Council of Institutions Annual Meetings > 2009 Annual Meeting
Mr. Jean-Jacques Dordain
Director General, the European Space Agency
Chancellor, International Space University
Jean-Jacques Dordain, born in 1946, studied engineering at the Ecole Centrale (obtaining his diploma the year Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon), before going on to join ONERA, the French national office for aerospace studies and research in 1970. First serving as a researcher in propulsion and launchers from 1970 to 1976, he then went on to be Coordinator of Space Activities and then Director of Fundamental Physics. In 1977, he was among the first five French candidate astronauts to be selected by CNES.
After joining ESA in 1986 as Head of Department of Space Station utilisation and micro-gravity, Jean-Jacques Dordain became Associate Director for Strategy, Planning and International Policy in 1993, Director of Strategy, Planning and Technical Assessment in 1999, then Director of Launchers in 2001. He was appointed Director General in December 2002, taking up office in July 2003. In June 2006, his mandate as ESA Director General was renewed until 2011.
Specific assignments
| 2002-2005: |
Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation |
| 2002: |
Member of the Review Group on “Transport and Space” of the Helmholtz Society (Germany) |
| 1997-2001: |
Executive Secretary of the Evaluation Committee of NASDA (Japan’s Space Agency). |
| 1995-1997: |
Member of the European Scientific and Technical Assembly, a high level advisory committee of the European Commission. |
| 1991: |
Chairman of the investigation committee of the failure of the German/Swedish Maxus rocket. |
| 1986-1987: |
Advisor to the Technical Director of Arianespace. |
| 1985: |
Chairman of the investigation committee of the failure of Ariane (V15). |
| 1980: |
Member of the “Mission for Mechanical Science” set by the President of the French Republic. |
| 1978-1980: |
Project manager (for the French Ministry of Defense) of the payload of the first military observation satellite project (SAMRO). |
| 1977: |
Training as one of the French astronaut candidate team. |
Professorships
| 1976-1992: |
Associate Professor of Mechanics at Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France. |
| 1980-1992: |
Professor in Gas Dynamics at Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées (ENSTA), Paris, France. |
| 1972-1978: |
Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Ecole Centrale de Paris, France. |
| 1972-1982: |
Professor of Rocket Propulsion at Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (sup’Aero), Toulouse, France. |
Education
Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, Paris (Engineering Diploma in 1969)
Academy Memberships
Member of the French Académie des Technologies
Member of the French Académie Nationale de l’Air et de l’Espace
Member of the International Academy of Astronautics
Awards
Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation (2007)
Von Karman Lecture on Astronautics (AIAA Award 2007)
Officier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite (2004; Chevalier in 1983)
Chevalier dans l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur (2001)
Membre Emérite de l’Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France (2002)
Two Prizes from the French Académie des Sciences (1980 and 1985)
Two Laurels from Aviation Week (1986 and 1994)
Prize of the French association of “Ingénieurs Civils de France” (1976)
Silver medal of CNES (1975)
