Géraldine Naja takes up duty as Director of Space Transportation
Géraldine Naja assumed the role of Director of Space Transportation (D/STS) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026, while remaining acting director of the newly named Commercialisation and Industry Partnership directorate (D/CIP). She succeeds Toni Tolker‑Nielsen, who retired after serving as director since 1 July 2023 and concluding nearly four decades of ESA service. Naja, a French national and graduate of École Polytechnique, ENSTA and Sciences Po, began her ESA career in 1987 as a Payload Operations Engineer in the Space Station Directorate and has held senior positions across policy, launch, and industrial sectors.
During Tolker‑Nielsen’s tenure, ESA reinforced Europe’s independent access to space by stabilising exploitation of the Ariane 6 and Vega‑C launchers and advancing next‑generation capabilities through the European Launcher Challenge. Naja previously led the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, now D/CIP, where she prioritized commercialisation and market‑oriented instruments for the European space sector. Her earlier assignments include heading the Long‑term Space Policy Office, Strategic and Institutional Matters in the Director General’s Cabinet, the EU Relations Office, advising the Director of Launchers, and directing the Industrial Policy and Audit Department. The directorate transition follows the ESA Ministerial Council’s endorsement of an organisational transformation in November 2025, which restructures directorates and leadership roles to align with a rapidly evolving space market.
The appointment reflects ESA’s broader strategy to sustain and expand Europe’s launch capability while fostering industry partnerships. By retaining Naja’s oversight of D/CIP, ESA maintains continuity in commercial policy as it prepares for upcoming Ariane 6 missions and Vega‑C return‑to‑flight operations from the French Guiana Spaceport. The agency’s phased transformation anticipates further senior‑management announcements in June, signalling continued emphasis on coordinated European cooperation and the development of future launch systems.
