The International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) announces it is seeking candidates for the position of President of the Association for a 3-year term.  The current President’s, Isabelle Rongier, second term will end in October 2019.

The IAASS is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering international cooperation and scientific advancement in the field of space systems safety. In 2004, IAASS became a member of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and in 2010 was granted Observer status at the United Nations COPUOS (Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Space). The Association exists to help, shape and advance an international culture of space safety (technical, organizational and socio-political), which would contribute to make space missions, vehicles, stations, extraterrestrial habitats, equipment and payloads safer for the general public, ground personnel, crews and flight participants. The Association also pursues the safeguarding and sustainability of the on-orbit environment to allow unimpeded access to space by future generations.

The roles of the President are to serve as the Association’s Supreme Ambassador to external organizations and to provide leadership internal to the Association for the achievement of the association’s goals. Externally, the President will interface with personnel who occupy Senior Government Agency positions and those who occupy similar positions in the Corporate Sector. The President will be responsible for seeking areas of common needs and opportunities to participate in projects that benefit both the Association and Government/Corporate entities. Internally, the President will provide leadership to the overall development and administration (non-financial) functioning of the organization, in close relationship with the Board Secretary. The President will also endorse the technical orientations and positions issued by the Association, relying on the proposals of the Technical Director. Approval and management of financial matters, such as the budget, are under the purview of the Board Secretary and the Association’s Board.

The term will begin on 1st of October 2019, after the decision taken during the Association’s General Membership meeting being held in conjunction with the 10th IAASS Conference in May 2019 in El Segundo, CA. The length of term is 3 years renewable for a second term.

Being the Association’s membership mainly in US and Europe, for alternation reasons, the Association is most interested, this time, in candidates who are recognized outstanding professionals in space safety or in related engineering fields, who are US citizens, reside in the US and are employed by a space related government agency or private sector organization. These interests are not to be interpreted as excluding any individual from applying. The candidate selected should be required to be an IAASS member in good standing for the previous 3 years.

Persons interested in the position shall submit a CV/Resume and a Letter of Motivation addressing how they would carry out the President’s roles described above. The due date for submission is 31st of March 2019.

For additional information, please contact:
Paul Kirkpatrick
Director Policy, Procedures and Data
iaass.ppd@gmail.com