Michel van Pelt

Michel van Pelt (1972) lives in The Netherlands and has a passion for space.

He works as an engineer at ESTEC, the technical centre of the European Space Agency (ESA), and has authored several space books, of which "Rocketing into the Future" is the most recent. He is an editor and writer for the Dutch space magazine "Ruimtevaart" and writes about Mars exploration for the Dutch space and astronomy magazine "Astruim". Articles of van Pelt have also appeared in Mars Exploration Magazine and Aeroplane.

As an ESA engineer, he prepares cost estimates and analyses proposals for new space missions, satellites and launch vehicles. He also regularly works on the design of new space missions in ESA's Concurrent Design Facility, acting as team leader, system engineer or cost engineer.

Michel regularly presents on space related topics such as Mars missions, spaceplanes and the future of spaceflight; recently for the Nationaal Ruimtevaart Museum / Aviodrome, Kenniscafe Almere, SpaceUp, the ESTEC Open Day and Border Sessions Tech Culture Festival.

In addition he is a licensed BSAC dive instructor.