Fancy a space career? Go after Frank De Winne!
Describe a typical day at your job.
My day mainly consists of meeting with my team, the space industry, our ESA member states and international partners such as NASA to discuss the implementation of our plans regarding space exploration.
What is the coolest part of your job?
Working with people from an international environment.
Are there aspects of your job that you don’t like so much?
The many business trips and being away from home.
How did you get into this job?
By replying to a vacancy at ESA.
What orientation did you take at school? Did it influence your later career?
Sciences mathematics in humanities and then engineering.
What non – technical skills do you need in your profession? How have you been able to develop these?
People skills, leadership, negotiation techniques.
What is the most valuable moment in your career so far?
My six-month space flight to the ISS.
What do you think will be the biggest challenges or changes in your field of work in the next 10 years? Do you have any advice on how you would tackle them?
The commercialisation of space and the integration of many new actors.
What is your dream job?
Astronaut