Enabling & Support
27/02/2026
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It takes thousands of people to design, develop, build and operate a complete launch system to escape Earth’s gravity. Here we highlight the people from all over Europe working on space transportation to ensure access to benefits of the wider Universe.
What is your name and role?
My name is Jörn Bellermann and I am the Head of Propulsion Test Facilities and Services.
My job is to make sure that our propulsion test benches are maintained so that we can host propulsion tests at any time. These tests include acceptance tests and development and qualification tests.
We maintain benches which intervene at different levels and have different sizes. The smallest are built for testing critical components. We also have powerpack and engine test capability and some benches are even prepared for stage tests to be performed on them.
How long have you been involved in space transport and what were/are your tasks?
I have been involved in space transportation for 30 years now, and, luckily, I have had the chance to get in touch with different sectors (Operations, Production, Development, Programme Management, Systems Engineering and Quality) and Kourou has been central in my career. Kourou is simply where things happen and where you surely touch the launcher. That is where you understand how things are working on launchers.
I have worked for Thales Alenia Space, Arianespace, Astrium/ArianeGroup and, in August 2022, I joined ESA.
I started as Fluidic Operations Manager in Kourou, where I worked on more than 40 launches of Ariane 4 and 5. From there, I became a Systems Engineer for Ariane 5’s upper stage (ESC-A). Then, I became a Programme Manager for Helium tanks and Civilian Reentry Projects. That was followed by being the Head of Quality in Development, Deputy Head of Ground Infrastructure Division and, my last position before my current one, Head of Integration in Kourou dealing with integration operations of Ariane 5, Ariane 6 Combined Tests, Vega and Soyuz Payload integration.
What is your educational background and prior work experience? How did you come to work on space transportation?
I have a degree in Space and Aeronautics in by the Technical University of Munich.
To tell you how I came to work on space transportation I just need to tell you one thing: Perry Rhodan was my favourite book series!
What is the most notable or memorable moment during your time working on space transport?
During the filling operation of the water torus of the L33 stage in ZL2, a caiman annoyed me a bit when he progressively wanted to snap the frogs close to me.
Or my Peugeot 106 while driving home from the booster test stand (BEAP) at Europe’s Spaceport, was lifted by an Anaconda, when I was accidently rolling over him. The car was moved by the Anaconda by several tens of centimetres.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I think the best thing about my my job today is that it gives me levers to push our community a little step further. We can foster new technologies but, also, sustainability actions which are from my perspective a must for our planet Earth.
What do you do outside of your job to unwind, what are your hobbies, what do you do for fun?
All what has to do with sport is in my focus, like scuba diving, running or skiing. But I also like to take pictures of the fauna everywhere in the world, above and below water. The results are sometimes gathered in photo books.
Do you have any advice for future generations interested in space exploration?
Space exploration is just at its beginning. My advice for future generations is to think big and investigate new ways of doing. Persist even if more experienced people tell you that it will not work. It might work!
It is like when I, by chance, identified a procedure for a PAL propellant filling which allowed a performance increase of Ariane 4 by some 100 kg. I simply continued investigating and happily found that the filling level of the 2 or 4 liquid boosters was heterogenous due to propellant thermal properties. I was simply looking where others were not, by chance.
Ariane 6 launch montage: one liftoff, many views
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