Adam Mitchell joined ESA in 2016 as a postdoctoral researcher working on advanced coating developments for spacecraft, with a focus on understanding the synergistic effects experienced by materials exposed to the extreme environments of space. In 2017, he joined ESA’s Materials Physics and Chemistry Section, where his work expanded into materials behaviour, degradation mechanisms, and environmental interactions. His current focus is on the atmospheric chemistry impacts of spacecraft launch and re-entry, examining the high-enthalpy formation of gases and nanoparticles, their subsequent chemical transformation in the stratosphere and mesosphere, and their eventual deposition back on Earth. This work supports ESA in strengthening the life-cycle assessment of its activities and advancing the sustainability of the space sector. Adam holds a PhD in surface chemistry (2015). Adam is currently part of and supporting the ESA Green Agenda. The ESA Green Agenda builds sustainability into the agency’s mission. It is the action plan to meet the objectives of Agenda 2025 and “ensure that ESA and European space programmes can support the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal to the fullest extent” by increasing the agency’s contribution to the sustainable development of society and reducing its GHG emissions by 46% by 2030.
