Athena Kostinis receives the 2023 EGU Jean Dominique Cassini Medal

Athéna Coustenis has been awarded the EGU Jean Dominique Cassini Medal 2023 for her major discoveries in the field of atmospheres and planetary surfaces and for her exceptional contribution to international space missions. This award is presented by European Geosciences Union (EGU), It is awarded to scientists who have achieved an outstanding international reputation in the field of planetary and space sciences, for scientific merit and achievements.

Athéna Coustenis, Research Director for the Extraordinary Class at the Laboratory for Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA) of the Paris Observatory-PSL, is known and respected worldwide for her important contributions to the study of the atmospheres and surfaces of exoplanets. solar system and beyond. It has achieved important results through its research based on ground observations and its participation in international space missions. Gained new knowledge of objects in the outer solar system (Saturn, Jupiter and their icy moons), especially around Saturn’s moon Titan. She has made an original contribution to space missions as a three-instrument co-investigator on the Cassini/Huygens mission and currently as a JANUS camera co-investigator on the JUICE mission. It also participates in future space missions to explore the outer planets, for example as co-investigator in the following missions to the moons of Mars (MMX) and to the outer planets (ARIEL).

Athena is respected as a scientist, author and co-author of over 180 peer-reviewed publications, author of a book, Chair of the Committee on Planetary Protection of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), and Chair of the CNES Committee on Space Research and Exploration Evaluation. CERES Committee. She has held numerous committee positions in Europe and the United States. Notably, she has served as Chair of the Human Exploration and Science Advisory Committee (HESAC) of the European Space Agency, Chair of the Space Sciences Committee of the European Science Foundation (ESF/ESSC), Chair of Planetary Sciences of the European Natural Gas Union and Vice-Chair. – President of the Europlanet Association. Therefore, Athena Kostinis is a model in her field of research and a great ambassador for EGU.