They say it takes a village to raise a child. To launch a rocket, we have the combined expertise and passion of Space Team Europe. Michel Bonnet is one of many making the first Ariane 6 launch possible, and has been interviewed as part of a series highlighting some of the people that make up this dream team.

“Who has not dreamed of working in the space sector?” he says, recalling how he built small rockets as a teenager using sodium chlorate, sulphur and sugar. In 1995, after years of work with helicopters and nuclear submarines, Michel started work in the space sector. For Ariane 6’s first flight, he is the Inaugural Flight Principal covering mission preparation, including the several small satellites being launched, and the launch campaign follow-up.

Michel is also head of a team of six engineers who are together working on the future possibilities for Ariane 6, often focussing on potential exploratory missions after 2030 and what modifications would be necessary to the launcher to make them feasible.

Stay tuned for more from #SpaceTeamEurope: an ESA space community engagement initiative to gather European space actors under the same umbrella sharing values of leadership, autonomy, and responsibility.