Chris Rapley CBE announced as Chair of the European Space Sciences Committee

The European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC), the Expert Committee on Space Sciences of the European Science Foundation (ESF), has selected Professor Chris Rapley (UCL Earth Sciences) as its incoming Chair. Professor Chris Rapley CBE, who is Professor of Climate Science with experience in Astronomy, Solar physics, Climate Science as well as Science Communication, is ideally placed to lead the ESSC, which deals with the full spectrum of Space Sciences in Europe. An independent Search Committee assembled by eminent members of the European space sciences community recommended Professor Rapley. In an extraordinary meeting on 13 May 2020, the ESSC members unanimously endorsed this recommendation. Professor Rapley will succeed Dr Athena Coustenis KLH, the current ESSC Chair, in November 2020, during the Autumn ESSC Plenary meeting. Over the last six years, Dr Coustenis has embedded the ESSC as an important and respected advisory board within the European space science landscape. Commenting on his appointment, Professor Rapley said: "European Space science is a success story of which Europe can be justifiably proud.