Laurent Jaffart,
Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity

From France, Mr Jaffart has over 20 years of experience in the European space sector. He graduated from the University of Brighton in the UK in 2000 with an honours degree in European business and technology, then gained dual Masters in Business Administration degrees from the former ESC Reims (Reims Management School in France) and Dublin City University.

In 2012, Mr Jaffart was awarded a Masters degree in military national resource strategy and policy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (now Eisenhower School) at the National Defence University in Washington DC.

Before joining ESA, Mr Jaffart worked for Airbus Defence and Space as Vice-President and Head of Strategy, Corporate and New Business Development in Space Systems, leading a trans-national team based in France, Germany and the UK. He simultaneously served as a member of the Space System Executive Board and as a member of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites Board.

Previously, Mr Jaffart worked in various roles at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), that went on to become part of Airbus Defence and Space in 2015. These included notably Vice-President and Head of Sales & Marketing Business Growth for Space Systems, Head of Strategy at Astrium Satellites (a subsidiary of EADS) based in Ottobrun, Germany, where he was responsible for the OneWeb bid for the first generation of the constellation and the creation of the joint-venture Airbus OneWeb Satellites.

As Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, Mr Jaffart was responsible for ESA’s satellite telecommunication programmes, namely the implementation of the full portfolio of ARTES 4.0 projects in partnership with European and Canadian industries and operators and developing the programme’s commercial nature.

This also included the strategic programme lines related to 5G/6G non-terrestrial network integration, secure communications, and quantum/optical technologies and for the new portfolio of programmes approved at the ESA Ministerial Council in 2022, namely the ESA contribution to EU Secure Connectivity Programme IRIS2, Moonlight, and Civil Security from Space. 

Mr Jaffart was reassigned to the newly created position of Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity Directorate (D/RNC) taking effect from 1 February 2026.

This new position reflects ESA’s commitment to bolstering resilience and enhancing navigation and connectivity in line with the security and defence priorities of its Member States, the European Union and defence-related agencies in Europe.  

Establishing a clear design authority within ESA is crucial for the European Resilience from Space (ERS) programme's success and for the timely development of essential security and defence technologies, ensuring that systems are designed and delivered in line with Member States’ needs.