Profile
Strategic Leader, Space Policy Expert and International Advisor
Bridges policy, diplomacy, and academia to shape the future of international space governance and cooperation
Short Biography
Special Advisor for Political Affairs at ESA
Kai-Uwe Schrogl has a thirty years career in the aerospace sector, working in ministry (German Economics Ministry), agency (DARA and ESA), research establishment (DLR) and think tank (ESPI) functions. He served i.a. as Chair of the Legal Subcommittee of UNCOPUOS, President of IISL and co-chair of the WEF Space Council. He is honorary professor at the University of Tübingen (Germany), where he teaches international technology policy at the Institute of Political Science. He has published more than 20 books as (co-)author or editor and more than 150 articles; currently he is preparing as chief editor the 3rd edition of the Handbook of Space Security at Springer.
Career
Career Milestones
Today
European Space Agency (ESA) – Special Advisor for Political Affairs
Provides political advice at the European level; previously served as Chief Strategy Officer
2019–2021
German Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Seconded to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) to support the EU Council Presidency and the Trio Presidency.
2014–2016
United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) – Chair, Legal Subcommittee
Chaired the principal international body for space law, following leadership roles in other European and global committees.
2007–2011
European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), Vienna – Director
Led the institute after serving in Corporate Development and External Relations at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Academic
University of Tübingen – Honorary Professor
Teaches and researches space policy, security, connectivity, and governance beyond national jurisdictions; holds a doctorate in political science.
Engagement
Research, Policy making, Diplomacy
Author of around 20 books and more than 140 publications, including “Handbook of Space Security” and “A Research Agenda for Space Policy”.
1 Current Member
Elected Member: Women in Aerospace Europe (WIA-Europe); Chair of the Board (since 2026); International Institute of Space Law (IISL) (President 2016-2025); International Academy of Astronautics (Full Member since 2001, Chair IAA-Committee on Policy, Economics and Regulations (2014-2016)
Appointed Member: Académie de l’air et de l’espace – Air and Space Academy; Science and Technology Awards Committee Chinese Society of Astronautics; Advisory Board THE LONDON INSTITUTE OF SPACE POLICY AND LAW; Advisory Board of the Applied Policy Science Unit University of Central Lancashire; Advisory Board of the Law School Keio University (慶應義塾大学); Space Law Committee/Legal Aspects of Space Debris Remediation Committee International Law Association; Interdisciplinary Research Center for Extraterrestrial Studies, Würzburg University; Advisory Board African Women in Space
Chair of (Organization): International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement Coordination Committee; International Astronautical Federation – Committee on the Liaison with International Organizations and Developing Nations; United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space – Legal Subcommittee; UNCOPUOS-LSC Working Group on “Practice of States and international organizations in registering space objects”; European Space Agency – International Relations Committee; Space Agency Forum – Plenary Session; UNCOPUOS-LSC Working Group on “Review of the concept of the ‘launching State’”
2 Previous Member
Advisory Council Space Generation Advisory Council; Senate Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt – Lilienthal-Oberth e.V. (DGLR); Scientific Advisory Committee EA European Academy of Technology and Innovation Assessment GmbH; European Space Science Committee ESF; Adjunct Faculty / Guest Lecturer International Space University; International Policy Advisory Committee ISPRS – International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing; Global Future Council for Space / Co-Chair 2022-2023 World Economic Forum; International Advisory Board International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), Leiden University; Global Group of Experts Global University Alliance for Outer Space Policy and Law Education (Beijing, BIT)
3 Publications
Editorial Boards: Space Policy (Elsevier), Section Editor Space Policy and Law IAA Acta Astronautica; Advances in Aerospace and Technology (China, CSA); Zeitschrift für Luft- und Weltraumrecht (University of Cologne); The Aviation and Space Journal (University of Bologna); Journal of Space Safety Engineering (Elsevier); Gujarat National Law University Journal of Air and Space Law (India, GNLU) as well as Co-editor of the book series “Governance, Security and Sustainability in Space” | previous: Founding editor of the book series “Yearbook of Space Policy” and “Studies in Space Policy”
4 Teaching
Teaching courses at the Institute of Political Science (IfP), University of Tübingen, covering Space Policy, Space Security, Connectivity, and related fields.