The airshow served as a platform for ESA to introduce the ambitious Zero Debris Charter initiative along with a press briefing.
In addition to 400,000 entries, the 54th International Paris Air Show attracted 210,000 professionals and 170,000 members of the general public.
Key figures from other international space agencies, experts, organisations, students, and enthusiasts were all gathered by the European Space Agency to showcase its activities. In addition to opening the door for future partnerships with the European space industry, the ESA/CNES pavilion served as a venue for showcasing Europe’s space objectives.
An exhibition showcasing the most recent successes and upcoming projects of the European Space Agency was held at the ESA/CNES Pavilion.
The interactive demonstration highlighted a number of ESA’s initiatives, including technology, operations, space transportation, science, robotic and human exploration, space safety, and various uses of space technologies for Earth observation, navigation, connectivity, and secure communications.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and CNES President Philippe Baptiste greeted French President Emmanuel Macron at the ESA/CNES pavilion on the opening day of the Paris Air Show.
Macron stayed at the Space Pavilion for 25 minutes, taking in scale models of both agencies’ spacecraft, including the European Service Module, which will support NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
The event brought together numerous stakeholders from organisations, international space agencies, and industries, and it gave many important players the chance to launch and finalise ambitious collaborations. Contracts signed at the Paris Air Show 2023 covered a wide range of ESA activities, from space safety to commercialization and space transportation.
The airshow served as a platform for ESA to introduce the ambitious Zero Debris Charter initiative along with a press briefing.
The meeting served as the kickoff for an ambitious campaign to encourage European institutional and commercial actors to use less harmful space debris disposal techniques. This initiative to address the urgent problem of space debris has gained the support of ESA, Airbus Defence and Space, OHB, and Thales Alenia Space.
ESA Director of Space Transportation Daniel Neuenschwander and CNES-CSG Director Marie-Anne Clair signed a contract for maintenance and investments in Europe’s spaceport CSG for the next five years. The investment covers flexible, digital, and sustainable CSG activities.
ESA also signed an agreement with SpaceFounders to nurture the next generation of European space leaders. Look Up Space secured €14 million in funding, the second-largest seed capital round in European spacetech and the largest in France.
A partnership agreement was signed at the Paris Air Show by Alain Rousset, President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and President of Way4Space, and Geraldine Naja, Director of Commercialization, Industry and Competitiveness for ESA, to demonstrate their shared interest in advancing a circular economy.
The Paris Air Show concluded the New Space Global Markets Challenge, with 9 finalist startups pitching their solutions. Arkadia Space and AIKO – Infinite Ways to Autonomy were selected as winners for their convincing plans for scaling their solutions to the market.
The jury, including Geraldine Naja, Jørgen Bru, Daniele Romagnoli, Pacome Revillon, Euroconsult, Estelle Godard, and Promus Ventures, voted on the finalists. ESA welcomed NewSpace Capital as the 31st member of the ESA Investor Network, aiming to strengthen relations between space start-ups and potential investors.
The contract was signed by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and Bogdan Gogulan CEO, Managing Partner of NewSpace Capital. The Paris Air Show took place from June 23-25, 2025, with thousands of students, children, and space enthusiasts attending exhibitions and events. The next edition will take place from June 16-22, 2025.