The invitation was extended to Schneider by US secretaries of state and commerce, Mike Pompeo and Wilbur Ross, respectively. 

The news follows the signature of an MoU on space cooperation between the two nations in May, when Ross was in Luxembourg to sign on behalf of the US government. 

In a communiqué, ambassador to Luxembourg Randy Evans said that Schneider’s participation in the event “will both honour and reflect Luxembourg’s prominent position in the space sector”, adding that the summit “will create an opportunity to showcase Luxembourg’s efforts to grow its commercial and civil space industries and to highlight U.S.-Luxembourg cooperation in working with other states to create an environment for the space industry to continue to flourish.”

Business relationships, long-term partnerships and sustainability, and open architecture with transparent data sharing are among some of the focal points planned for the summit. The programme is a packed one, with a range of leaders from national space agencies/fora, satellite companies, international public and private sectors, and media in the lineup, including representatives from NASA, iSpace, SpaceX and Virgin Orbit, to name just a few.

Asteroid Day

It’s also a busy time for space in Luxembourg, as the Asteroid Day events kick off this week. The detailed programme can be found here.

The main public event takes place on Saturday 29 June at noon at the Cercle Cité-- a meet-and-greet family event offering visitors a chance to talk with astronauts, scientists and other asteroid experts. Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, physicist and former NASA astronaut Ed Lu, and Romanian cosmonaut Dumitru Prunariu are among the celebrity guests at a gala dinner on 29 June.