Bernard Chemoul

Born 2 January 1958, Bernard Chemoul graduated from the ENSMA mechanical and aeronautical engineering school in Poitiers in 1981. He is currently completing a course in Higher European Studies at the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), Herman Von Rompuy Class.

In 1982, he joined CNES’s Launch Vehicles Directorate (DLA) as a design and development engineer. Throughout his career, he has been closely involved in Europe’s space launchers programme, notably on Ariane 4, Ariane 5, Hermes, Vega and Soyuz in Guiana, in a range of engineering and project management posts.

In 2000, he became Head of the Launcher Engineering Sub-directorate, and in 2005 Director of the Ariane 5 Programme. He moved to the Guiana Space Centre in 2008, as Head of the Range Safety and Environmental Protection Sub-directorate and Deputy Director of the launch base.

In 2012, he took over as Director of the Guiana Space Centre, remaining in this post until 2016.

In 2017, he joined the European Space Agency (ESA) as Launch Infrastructures project leader at the Space Transportation Directorate.

Bernard Chemoul has been appointed Inspector General of CNES, reporting to the President Jean-Yves Le Gall, effective 1 September 2018.