- The Spanish Space Agency (ESA) and the Portuguese Space Agency will lead the list of aerospace agencies, which also includes the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the North American Space Agency (NASA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA)
- Seville will be the setting for a pioneering event that seeks to highlight the impact of ‘New Space’ on society and the business fabric. This is the first aerospace meeting of international relevance to be held in Seville since the Spanish Space Agency (ESA) established its headquarters in the Andalusian capital in April 2024
- The event will be held from 17 to 21 March 2025 with two face-to-face sessions in the Cartuja Auditorium – managed by Yventu – and three virtual sessions
Seville is counting down the days to become the Space capital from 17 to 21 March with the celebration of the first edition of the ‘New Space & Solutions’, a pioneering event that will bring together leading space agencies such as the recently created Spanish Space Agency (AEE), the Portuguese Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as leading companies, universities and experts from the aerospace sector.
New Space & Solutions’ aims to highlight the impact of ‘New Space’ on society and the business fabric and is the first aerospace forum of international relevance to be held in Seville since the Spanish Space Agency (ESA) established its headquarters in the Andalusian capital in April 2024.
Seville launches itself into ‘New Space
The city of Seville has the privilege of being the headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency. The director of the ESA, Juan Carlos Cortés, will be Speaker of Honour on the opening day of the first edition of ‘New Space & Solutions’ to be held in the Cartuja Auditorium – managed by Yventu – where the two days of the event will be held (17 and 18 March) which will continue with three virtual sessions (from 19 to 21 March).
Juan Carlos Cortés will share with all attendees the work being carried out by the Spanish Space Agency since 2023, the year in which it was officially established. It was already in 2024 when its headquarters were inaugurated in Seville, making the capital of Andalusia a key epicentre for the country’s aerospace industry. For her part, Cecilia Hernández, Director of Programmes and Industry of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), will participate twice in this event with a first intervention on the second day of ‘New Space & Solutions’.
The choice of Seville as the venue responds to its strong aerospace tradition, with a consolidated ecosystem that includes leading companies, the Experimentation Centre of El Arenosillo (CEDEA) of the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA). Moreover, Andalusia is one of the leading regions in the aeronautics and space sector in Spain.
Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency, and Teodoro Valente, President of the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), will also take part in the opening day and the first virtual day, respectively. Based in Rome and founded in 1988, the Italian Space Agency is one of the oldest and most advanced in Europe, participating in missions to Mars, developing satellites such as COSMO-SkyMed and designing modules such as Leonardo. For its part, Portugal Space was founded in 2019, is located on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores archipelago and aims to promote Portugal’s participation in international space programmes, especially in ESA.
NASA, luxury guest in Seville
New Space & Solutions’ will have on its agenda the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration with the participation of Dylan Mathis, Head of Communications for NASA’s Office of External Affairs. Mathis will discuss the roadmap that the US space agency has designed for the transition of the International Space Station (ISS) to a new era of Commercial LEO Destinations, emphasising the central role that private companies will play in sustaining human activity and research in space.
“A seamless transition is needed to move from a monolithic model to a multi-faceted commercial ecosystem,” says Dylan Mathis, who will also serve as liaison for a live link-up interview on the first day of the New Space & Solutions event with Suni Williams, commander of the International Space Station, and Butch Wilmore, flight engineer at . Solutions’ with Suni Williams, commander of the International Space Station, and Butch Wilmore, engineer of flight, who are completing a long-duration mission as part of Expedition 72 following their arrival on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024.
Interview with two NASA astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
Williams and Wilmore will recount their experiences living in space for nearly eight months while contributing hundreds of hours of science, research and enquiry aboard the microgravity laboratory. This is a long-awaited connection, as it is likely to be the last time the two astronauts will make a public communication before leaving the International Space Station. In this talk with ‘New Space & Solutions’ they will be able to give details of how and when their imminent return to Earth will take place, as well as all their work during the eight months of their mission.
Foto: NASA
JAXA and ESA at the forefront of aerospace industry
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) will also be represented in a high-level agenda. Chiharu Hoshino, Deputy Director at JAXA’s Paris Office, will participate as a representative of the Japanese space agency, which plays a key role in the development of the global aerospace industry, driving innovation, satellite technology, space exploration and partnerships with private companies. Its impact, in fact, is reflected in various sectors, from rocket and satellite manufacturing to planetary exploration and aerospace security.
For its part, ESA will be joined by Sergio Tabasco, Head of Industrial Policy at the European agency, which has established itself as one of the main pillars of aerospace innovation in Europe and the world. It is not for nothing that ESA is one of the most important space agencies in the world, with a major role in space exploration, satellite technology, rocket development and international cooperation. Its work not only drives science and innovation, but also strengthens the European aerospace industry, promoting collaboration between governments and private companies.
Female talent at the service of the aerospace industry
The major international space agencies will also be present on the last day of ‘New Space & Solutions’ – the third virtual one – dedicated exclusively to women and female talent. In this session, 15 women leaders in the space sector will share their experiences and reflections with interviews in which they will tell their personal and professional stories , and will launch inspirational messages for young women who want to dedicate themselves to the aerospace sector. Among them, Ersilia Vaudo, Diversity Director of the European Space Agency (ESA), Ana María Pérez, Director of the Technical Cabinet of the Spanish Space Agency (ESA) and Cecilia Hernández, Director of Programmes and Industry of the Spanish Space Agency (ESA).
New Space & Solutions’ will turn Seville into the capital of Space from 17 to 21 March with an event that includes two face-to-face sessions (Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 March) at the Cartuja Auditorium – managed by Yventu – and three virtual sessions (Wednesday 19, Thursday 20 and Friday 21 March).
All the presentations will be available for on-demand viewing through El Observatorio, the digital platform of Medina Media Events, where each intervention will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, free of charge.
The first edition of ‘New Space & Solutions’ is organized by Medina Media Events with the collaboration of the City of Seville and the Department of University, Research and Innovation of the Andalusian Regional Government and has the support of Rohde & Schwarz, ALTER, Ansys, Augusta Abogados, CT Ingenieros, DEKRA, Integrasys, Kistler, Orbital EOS, PARSEC, Proexca (Canary Islands Government), Space-Aero, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, CEU Universidad Fernando III, among others.