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David Southwood

David Southwood
Director of SRE

David Southwood was appointed ESA Director of Science and Robotic Exploration (D/SRE) in April 2008, and took up duty on 15 June. Prof. Southwood was previously Director of Science.

After graduating in 1966, he went on to obtain a PhD in Physics from Imperial College, University of London, UK. He then became a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where he later would teach as a visiting professor. In 1971, he returned to Imperial College, eventually becoming Head of the Blackett Laboratory from 1994 until 1997.

In 1997, he joined ESA as Head of Earth Observation Strategy, where he introduced a new programme in Earth science, called 'The Living Planet'. In 1999 he returned to academia to become Regents Professor, first at UCLA and then at Imperial College. In May 2001 he was invited back to ESA to lead the Space Science programme.

Prof. Southwood is credited with more than 200 publications and scientific articles, and has worked on a variety of space missions. One of his most challenging roles was leading the team that built the Cassini magnetometer for the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini-Huygens mission, now orbiting Saturn. He has chaired a number of committees associated with space science in Europe, including the ESA Space Science Advisory Committee from 1990 to 1993 and the ESA Science Programme Committee from 1993 to 1996.

The new Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration is devoted to the mandatory scientific programme and to the part of exploration dedicated to robotic exploration, and was created in April 2008 in an organisational change triggered by ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and endorsed by the ESA Council.

Last update: 4 March 2009

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