Meeting at the Agency’s headquarters in Paris on 19/20 December, the ESA
Council appointed Josè Achache, of French nationality, to the post of
Director of Earth Observation, for a four-year term.

Josè Achache, 48, obtained his doctorate in geophysics at the Pierre et
Marie Curie University in 1979 and his doctorate in physical sciences at
the Renè Descartes University. He started his career in 1978 at the
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris as a Research assistant, then
“Chargè de Recherche” and in 1989 was appointed Professor, Director of the
Department of Space Studies and director of the Graduate School of Earth
Sciences. In 1996 he joined the Bureau de recherches géologiques et
miniëres as deputy director of the Research Division and the following
year became its director. In 1999, he was named advisor to the President
of the French Space Agency (CNES) and in 2000, was appointed by him
deputy director general for science.

Josè Achache is expected to take up his duties at the beginning of next
year.

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Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155

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