Steve MacLean

The Canadian and French space agencies will be getting new presidents over the next two months.

CSA President Dr. Steve MacLean will be stepping down on Feb. 1 for greener pastures in the private sector. The former astronaut, who flew in space twice, has served as the agency’s president since 2008.

CNES President Yannick d’Escatha will retire in mid-March when he turns 65, which is the mandatory retirement age for heads of government agencies in France. He has served in that position for a decade since his appointment on Feb. 19, 2003.

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Reston, Va. (AIAA PR) – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), in coordination with the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), is pleased to announce the initial program for the Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX) to take place May 22–24, 2012 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L’Enfant Plaza Southwest, Washington, D.C.

The opening day of the event will feature a “Heads of Space Agencies Global Space Exploration Dialog.” Moderated by AIAA Executive Director Bob Dickman, it will bring together Charles Bolden, administrator, NASA; Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general, European Space Agency; Steve MacLean, president, Canadian Space Agency; Vladimir Alexandrovich Popovkin, head, Russian Federal Space Agency; and Chen Qiufa, administrator, China National Space Administration, for a candid discussion on the future of space exploration initiatives in the global community. Dr. Keiji Tachikawa, president, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organization, have also been invited.

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Canada has selected two-time space shuttle veteran Steve MacLean to serve as president of the Canadian Space Agency. He replaces Guy Bujold, who has headed up the agency on an interim basis since January.

MacLean currently serves as CSA’s Chief Astronaut, coordinating activities for the space agency’s small astronaut corps. The agency is currently reviewing 5,000 applications to fill two open slots in the group.

MacLean’s official NASA bio states:

“From October 22 to November 1, 1992, Steve MacLean flew onboard Space Shuttle Columbia as a Payload Specialist for Mission STS-52. During this mission, he performed a set of seven experiments known as CANEX-2, which included the evaluation of the Space Vision System.

“MacLean was the Chief Science Advisor for the International Space Station from 1993 until 1994, when he was appointed Director General of the Canadian Astronaut Program for two years.

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