Elisabetta Carrara has been Head of the Security Accreditation Department since January 2019. She has worked on the security accreditation of the EU GNSS systems since 2008, contributing to the establishment of the Galileo security accreditation processes and of the European GNSS Security Accreditation Board. Before joining the GSA, now EUSPA, she worked in ENISA (currently the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) and before that, in the private telecommunication sector, in the area of security and standardisation. 

Elisabetta Carrara holds a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Genova, Italy, and a Licentiate degree from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.

In June 2019, Patrick Hamilton became Head of Administration of the GSA, now EUSPA.

Following experience gained, in particular, at the European Commission, Patrick Hamilton joined the GSA in 2013 and became head of the newly created Project Control Department in 2014. With the reorganisation of the GSA in 2017, he became Head of Project Control & the Office of the Executive Director & Quality. 

He holds a Master of Physics degree and graduated in 2001.

As the EUSPA Chief Operating Officer, Pascal Claudel’s mission is to ensure efficient and effective management of the Agency’s Galileo service, EGNOS service, Security, GSMC, Project Control and Market Development activities, working in a matrix organisational structure, and leading EUSPA’s operational activities.

Pascal Claudel has 30 years of experience dedicated to the space sector - with a particular focus on customer relations, both institutional and commercial, and spanning operational experience with launch-related activities, adaptation to evolving customer needs, and implementing a strategic vision with institutional and industrial partners.

Before joining the GSA, Pascal Claudel held several positions in Arianespace, Thales Alenia Space and Starsem, to mention a few.

Pascal Claudel holds an engineering diploma from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique de Nantes in France completed by his studies at the Centre des Hautes Etudes de l’Armement.

On 16 October 2020, Rodrigo da Costa took up his duties as Executive Director of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), formerly the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Prior to this, he was the Galileo Services Programme Manager from March 2017. 

Before joining the GSA, Rodrigo da Costa held several senior project management, business development, and institutional key account management positions in the space industry, in the areas of human space flight, exploration, launchers and R&D. 

Rodrigo da Costa holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the “Instituto Superior Tecnico” in Lisbon, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delft, and an MBA from the EuroMBA consortium of Business Schools.