12/01/2021 (Agence Europe) – The current Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jan Wörner, announced on his blog on Friday 8 January that he would “probably” leave his post at the head of the Agency on 28 February instead of 1 July 2021 as planned (see EUROPE 12625/10). It is therefore on this date that the mandate of Josef Aschbacher, officially elected on 17 December last, will begin. “Based on these various considerations (including my readiness to leave the position as early as the Member States deemed appropriate), the Chair decided, together with me, to propose to the ESA Council an official take-up of duty by the new Director General on 1 March 2021. The period until that date will be used to secure a smooth transition”, he announced. To consult his blog: https://bit.ly/3oEt2oW (PH)