ESA pays tribute to former Director General Antonio Rodotà (Forwarded)

European Space Agency
Press Release No. 07-2006

24 February 2006

ESA pays tribute to former Director General Antonio Rodotà

Former ESA Director General Antonio Rodotà died in Rome on Thursday 23
February aged 70.

The ESA Council appointed him Director General starting in June 1997 and
he served in this position until June 2003.

Before taking over the reins at ESA, he was director of the Space Division
of Finmeccanica (Italy) and a member of the boards of several
international companies as well as Arianespace.

After graduating from Rome University as an electronics engineer, Mr
Rodotà began his career with Selenia (1966/80), followed by three years as
head of the Compagnia Nazionale Satelliti (Italy). He then moved on to
Alenia-Spazio in 1983 where he held a series of senior positions before
becoming chief executive in 1995.

During his term of office at ESA, Antonio Rodotà -- the first ESA Director
General to come directly from industry -- played a key role in many fields
and was highly valued in the space communities of Europe and beyond. His
fervent advocacy of international cooperation was widely recognised and he
will be remembered for his fostering of the European dimension of space
activities and as one of the founding fathers of Galileo, Europe¹s
satellite navigation system.

"Antonio Rodotà led ESA into the 21st Century. I feel honoured to have had
the opportunity to follow his path and to build on the foundations he laid
for a renewed Europe in space", said ESA¹s present Director General
Jean-Jacques Dordain, who, along with all ESA staff and contractors who
knew and appreciated Antonio Rodotà, offer their deepest condolences to
his family and share in their grief.

For further information, please contact:

Franco Bonacina
ESA Media Relations Division
Tel: +33 0 1 53 69 7155
Fax: +33 0 1 53 69 7690

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMPHFMVGJE_index_1.html]
ESA's former Director General, Antonio Rodotà

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja