Astroscale France SAS has appointed Philippe Blatt as an externally contracted Managing Director, effective immediately.
As Managing Director, Blatt will drive the growth of Astroscale France by building a team that collaborates closely with Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (“CNES”) and other stakeholders, positioning France as an international leader in space sustainability.
“We are very pleased to welcome Philippe as Managing Director of Astroscale France,” said Nobu Okada, Founder & CEO of Astroscale. “He is not only passionate about our vision, but he brings a wealth of experience, including a proven track record of leadership in aerospace and defense, and collaboration with governments and space agencies across Europe. We are confident that he will establish Astroscale France as a key partner in our global mission and a leader in on-orbit servicing in Europe.”
Blatt joins Astroscale from Thales Group, where he held various leadership roles over three decades. He most recently drove digitalization efforts at Thales France and was responsible for expanding service accessibility within the French Armed Forces. Prior to this, he served as Program Director for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense Marshall program, transforming air traffic management across 100 defense locations.
He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space Germany, and Vice President of Navigation Domain of Thales Alenia Space France, managing a large team of personnel and European suppliers, and engaged with the Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales, the European Space Agency, the European Commission, and other prominent stakeholders.
“I am thrilled to join Astroscale and work with my fellow global entities to continue to advance the on-orbit servicing ecosystem,” said Blatt. “Our partnership with CNES on a study to develop a mission to remove a large debris object is an exciting first step and demonstrates one of many opportunities to bolster France’s leadership in space sustainability. I am very excited to grow and lead the Astroscale France team to make this happen.”
In June 2023, Astroscale announced the opening of Astroscale France and a partnership with CNES that includes a funded study for active debris removal of French space debris.
Blatt’s arrival is the first key appointment for Astroscale France, and will be followed by the establishment of a permanent location for larger facilities and the hiring of additional team members.
