16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - European Space Agency appoints new director of launchers. The appointment of Daniel Neuenschwander as European Space Agency (ESA) Director of Launchers was announced by the ESA on Wednesday 16 March in Paris, during a restricted session of the ESA Council. Neuenschwander is a geographer and airline pilot by training and has headed the Swiss Space Office and Swiss Delegation to ESA. He has also been the Chairman of the Programme Board Launchers (PB-LAU) and serves as Deputy of the Swiss State Secretary for Space Affairs, as well as the ESA Co-Presidency at Ministerial level. In an interview to the Swiss newspaper, Le Temps, Neuenschwander explained that he had two priorities: “ensuring the operations of the current European launchers (Ariane-5 and Vega) from the base in Kourou and completing the development of the future Ariane-6 and Vega-C launchers within the planned budget and deadline”. (PH)