{"id":24235,"date":"2024-09-18T22:25:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T20:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oewf.org\/?page_id=24235"},"modified":"2025-10-23T20:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T18:49:19","slug":"polar-star-award","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oewf.org\/en\/about-the-oewf\/polar-star-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Polar Star Award &#8211; The Austrian Space Award \u00ae"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Polar Star Award (Polarsternpreis) \u2013 The Austrian Space Award (Der \u00d6sterreichische Weltraumpreis)\u00ae <\/strong>&#8211; honors people who are enthusiastic about space. It has been awarded annually since 2009 for exceptional achievements in the service of European space activities to honor people who distinguish themselves through personal commitment, outstanding projects or forward-looking ideas: outstanding educational work, innovative business models, personal commitment in the space sector &#8211; that is what the Polar Star Award is about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEven outside of the established national space organizations, there are numerous initiatives in the space sector that are implemented by extremely committed individuals who inspire their environment for the topic,&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">says OeWF Director Dr. Gernot Gr\u00f6mer, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;and it is precisely these outstanding people that we would like to pay our tribute to.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">POLAR STAR AWARDEES<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mkoeberl_polarsternpreis.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mkoeberl_polarsternpreis-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Mike K\u00f6berl<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2009 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Space collector. <\/strong>Passionate collector of objects from the space sector who makes his exhibits accessible to a wide audience.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mpflug-hofmayr-polarstern2011.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mpflug-hofmayr-polarstern2011-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Maria Pflug-Hofmayr<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2010 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Space editor<\/strong>. Co-founder of Der-Orion.com and translator of \u201cAstronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)\u201d into German.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4 last-column\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/bimhof.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/bimhof.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Dr. Barabara Imhof<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2011 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Space architect<\/strong>. She visualizes the future of people in space. Through her numerous lectures, she conveys her knowledge and enthusiasm to a broad public.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div><div class=\"spacer\"><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/dietmarhager-rubra.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/dietmarhager-rubra.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Dr. Dietmar Hager<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2012 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Traumatologist and enthusiastic astrophotographer<\/strong>. Not only does he inspire audiences with his lectures, he is also committed to fighting light pollution.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/04-polarsternpreis.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/04-polarsternpreis.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Dr. Mazlan Othman<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2013 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Space advocate<\/strong>. Former director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. Ms. Othman has been involved in the space sector since her student days and is one of the most respected personalities in this sector worldwide.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4 last-column\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/YurisNight_polarstern_uebergabe_kkornfeld.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/YurisNight_polarstern_uebergabe_kkornfeld.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Prof. DI Dr. Otto Koudelka &#038; Prof. Dr. Werner Weiss<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2014 Award Winners<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Otto Koudelka<\/strong>, head of the Institute for Communication Networks and Satellite Communications at Graz Technical University and <strong>Werner Weiss<\/strong> from the Institute for Astronomy at Vienna University made a significant contribution to the construction and launch of the first Austrian satellite 'TUGSAT-1\/BRITE'.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div><div class=\"spacer\"><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/christian_bruenner_polarsternpreistraeger2015.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/christian_bruenner_polarsternpreistraeger2015-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Em. Univ.-Prof. Dr. jur. Christian Br\u00fcnner<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2015 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Space lawyer<\/strong>. He is a key pioneer of space law in Austria and is particularly committed to working with young people, thereby enabling students to get started in the field.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/franzviehboeck_apa-jaeger.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/franzviehboeck_apa-jaeger-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">DI Franz Viehb\u00f6ck<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2016 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Astronaut<\/strong>. He is the only Austrian astronaut and with his space mission AustroMir he fascinates and inspires young and old alike in Austria. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franzviehboeck.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.franzviehboeck.com<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4 last-column\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Stuebler-2.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Stuebler-2-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Johannes St\u00fcbler<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2017 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Astronomer<\/strong>. One of his main objectives is the dissemination of basic astronomical knowledge. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of London and national coordinator of the global organization \u201cAstronomers Without Borders\u201d. He has been promoting international cooperation between astronomers for many years.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div><div class=\"spacer\"><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/HelmutWindhager_polarsternpreistraeger2018.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/HelmutWindhager_polarsternpreistraeger2018-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Helmut Windhager<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2018 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Amateur astronomer.<\/strong> He inspires the younger generation with astronomy and explains space in an understandable way. Since 2012 he has headed the astronomy working group at the \u201cHaus der Natur\u201d in Salzburg and is the main initiator of the new VEGA observatory in Salzburg, one of the largest private observatories in Europe.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1_Claudia-Kessler_4_copyright_Astronautin-1.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1_Claudia-Kessler_4_copyright_Astronautin-1-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Dipl.-Ing. Claudia Kessler<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2019 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Entrepreneur<\/strong>. As a graduate engineer, she has been committed to women in technological professions in the male-dominated industry from the very beginning. From 2004 to 2018 she was CEO at HE Space. In 2009 she founded the network \"Women in Aerospace Europe\". In 2016 she founded the initiative \"The first German female astronaut\".<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4 last-column\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/AlexanderPikhard_WAA_s.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/AlexanderPikhard_WAA_s-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">DI Alexander Pikhard<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2020 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Amateur astronomer and astrophotographer.<\/strong> President and co-founder of the Wiener Arbeitsgemeinschaft f\u00fcr Astronomie (Vienna Working Group for Astronomy\/WAA). It is his foremost goal to present complicated scientific content in an understandable way and to pass on his enthusiasm for astronomy. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waa.at\">www.waa.at<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div><div class=\"spacer\"><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Gru\u0308bler.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Gru\u0308bler-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Thomas Gr\u00fcbler, MSc<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2021 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>NewSpace entrepreneur.<\/strong> Co-founder and CEO of OroraTech | NewSpace Intelligence for a sustainable Earth. His mission: to use satellites in space to detect forest fires on Earth at an early stage. <a href=\"https:\/\/ororatech.com\/?utm_source=email_signature&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=link&amp;utm_content=tgrue\">www.ororatech.com<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PE_square1.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/PE_square1-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2022 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Female leader in the space sector.<\/strong>\r\nPresident of the International Space University (ISU), President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), President of the Committee of Space Research COSPAR. Chairwoman of the Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) from 2015-2020 and President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) from 2013-2015.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4 last-column\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/2023-12-16_Polarsternpreistraeger_NHedman.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/2023-12-16_Polarsternpreistraeger_NHedman-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Niklas Hedman<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2023 Award Winner <\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Coordinator of UN space-related activities.<\/strong>\r\nFrom 2006 to 2023 at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). From March 2022 to September 2023 he was interim director of UNOOSA and before that head of the UNOOSA Legal and Political Affairs Division of the COPUOS Committee. Vice-Chair of the Panel on Planetary Protection of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR).<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div><div class=\"spacer\"><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/lisa-kaltenegger.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/lisa-kaltenegger-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Prof. Lisa Kaltenegger<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2024 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Astrophysicist, author and speaker.<\/strong> Leading expert on the modeling and detection of habitable worlds. Professor at Cornell University and Director of the Carl Sagan Institute. Her research into the identification of life in the cosmos has taken her from ESA and NASA to stations in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Harvard. Winner of international awards such as the Heinz Meier Leibnitz Prize and the Doppler Prize. Regular speaker at events such as the Aspen Ideas Festival and TED Youth. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lisakaltenegger.com\/\">www.lisakaltenegger.com<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-4\"><div class=\"team-member-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/RAlbrecht2024.jpg\" class=\"fancybox\" class=\"fancybox\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"team-member-img\" src=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/RAlbrecht2024-450x301.jpg\"\/><\/a><div class=\"team-member-description\"><div class=\"team-header-info clearfix\"><div class=\"team-name\"><h4 class=\"team-member-name\">Dr. Rudolf Albrecht<\/h4><p class=\"team-position\">2025 Award Winner<\/p><\/div><div class=\"social-list clearfix\"><ul class=\"social\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"team-member-content\"><strong>Astrophysicist<\/strong> Dr. Rudolf Albrecht is one of the pioneers of European space research. He played a key role in the success of the Hubble Space Telescope, headed the ESA\/ESO Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility in Munich, and has been committed to the peaceful and sustainable use of space for many years within the United Nations. His current activities include participation in international initiatives such as \"Dark and Quiet Skies,\" planetary defence, and preparations for the \"International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence 2029.\"<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Polar Star Award was awarded for the first time in 2009.<\/strong> The first awardee was <strong>Michael K\u00f6berl<\/strong>, a passionate collector of objects from the space sector who makes his exhibits accessible to a wide audience. The following year, <strong>Maria Pflug-Hofmayr<\/strong>, space editor, co-founder of Der-Orion.com and translator of &#8220;Astronomy picture of the day&#8221;, received the OeWF trophy. In 2011, the prize went to <strong>Barbara Imhof<\/strong>, who as a space architect and designer always gets even the youngest interested in space. In 2012, <strong>Dr. Dietmar Hager<\/strong>, trauma surgeon and enthusiastic astrophotographer, was awarded the prize. He not only inspires people with his lectures, but is also committed to combating light pollution. The 2013 anniversary Polar Star Award went to <strong>Dr. Mazlan Othman<\/strong>: astrophysicist. Space advocate. Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. Ms. Othman has been involved in the space sector since her student days and is one of the most respected personalities in this sector worldwide. In 2014, the prize was awarded to two people for the first time: <strong>Prof. DI Dr. Otto Koudelka<\/strong>, Director of the Institute for Communication Networks and Satellite Communications at Graz Technical University <strong>and Prof. Dr. Werner Weiss<\/strong> from the Institute of Astronomy at Vienna University received the prize for their commitment, which contributed significantly to the construction and launch of the first Austrian satellite &#8216;TUGSAT-1\/BRITE&#8217;.<br>On April 12, 2015, <strong>Emeritus Professor Dr. Christian Br\u00fcnner<\/strong> received the Polar Star Award. His commitment to space law in Austria continues to inspire young students. The 8th Polar Star Award in the history of the eEWF, which was traditionally announced on April 12 during Yuris Night, went to Austria&#8217;s only astronaut, <strong>DI Franz Viehb\u00f6ck<\/strong>, who also brought the International Astronaut Congress 2016 to Vienna to mark his 25th anniversary of space flight. Franz Viehb\u00f6ck has been able to inspire countless people in Austria with his AustroMir mission. In 2017, the 9th Polar Star Award was awarded to <strong>Johannes St\u00fcbler<\/strong>, who, as chairman of the Linz Astronomical Society \u201cJohannes Kepler\u201d, played a key role in the construction of the Kepler Observatory in Linz and, as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of London and Ambassador and national coordinator of the global organization \u201cAstronomers Without Borders,\u201d has been promoting international cooperation between astronomers for many years. The 10th Anniversary Polar Star Award went to <strong>Ing. Helmut Windhager<\/strong>, head of the Astronomy Working Group at the Haus der Natur in Salzburg. As astronomical project manager at the VEGA Observatory, he played a leading role in the construction of Europe\u2019s largest and most modern private observatory, which opened in Salzburg in August 2018. In 2019, the initiator of \u201cThe First German Astronaut\u201d and co-founder of \u201cWomen in Aerospace Europe,\u201d <strong>Claudia Kessler<\/strong>, received the prize. <br>In 2020, President and co-founder of WAA <strong>Alexander Pikhard<\/strong> received the Polar Star Award. He inspires many people with countless lectures and astrophotography. In 2021, CEO and co-founder of OroraTech | NewSpace Intelligence for a sustainable Earth <strong>Thomas Gr\u00fcbler<\/strong> received the Austrian Space Award. Thanks to his personal commitment, the innovative idea of detecting forest fires from space turned into a company he runs together with his co-founders. In 2022, the Polar Star Award was awarded to <strong>Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund<\/strong>. She has been involved in ESA and NASA astronomy and planetary missions for three decades, as well as in experiments in low Earth orbit and on the International Space Station. She has shown that a scientific research career can lead to becoming one of the few female leaders in the space sector. In 2023, the Austrian Space Award went to <strong>Niklas Hedman<\/strong>. As the organizer of the conferences of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), Niklas Hedman played a key role in coordinating space-related UN activities for more than a decade. He also supports the Darks Skies Initiative with great commitment to enable astronomical research in the future despite the many satellites in Earth&#8217;s orbit. <br><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/en\/2024\/09\/lisa-kaltenegger-receives-the-2024-polar-star-award\/\">Lisa Kaltenegger<\/a> <\/strong>received the 2024 award for her outstanding scientific achievements in exoplanet research and her ability to inspire young people\u2014especially young women\u2014to pursue careers in science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Header photo:&nbsp; Dr. Lothar Kurtze<br>&#8220;Polarsternpreis &#8211; der \u00d6sterreichische Weltraumpreis&#8221; and &#8220;Polar Star Award &#8211; the Austrian Space Award&#8221; are registered trademarks. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NOMINATION &amp; PROCEDURES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Candidates can nominate themselves or be nominated by others. The jury can also directly select a suitable person. The prize consists of a trophy, prize money of \u20ac 800.00 and the public announcement of the winner. <em>&#8220;The Polar Star is a symbol of groundbreaking ideas &#8211; just as the winners stand for leadership in ideas, initiative and self-motivation,&#8221;<\/em> says the initiator of the Polar Star Award, Olivia Haider, OeWF board member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prize can only be awarded to physical persons; the award is not tied to nationality, profession, gender or language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The application deadline ends on <strong>March 15th each year <\/strong>(date of postmark, receipt by OeWF). The prize will be announced and awarded at an event to be determined by the OeWF board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Interested?<\/strong><br>If you or someone you know would like to apply for the Polar Star Award, please write us an email to polarsternpreis@oewf.org by telling us about the projects, initiatives or outstanding people in the Austrian space sector.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Polar Star Award (Polarsternpreis) \u2013 The Austrian Space Award (Der \u00d6sterreichische Weltraumpreis)\u00ae &#8211; honors people who are enthusiastic about space. It has been awarded annually since 2009 for exceptional achievements in the service of European space activities to honor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17804,"parent":7131,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24235","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Polar Star Award - The Austrian Space Award \u00ae - Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Polar Star Award (Polarsternpreis) \u2013 The Austrian Space Award\u00ae - honors people who are enthusiastic about space.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/en\/about-the-oewf\/polar-star-award\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Polar Star Award - The Austrian Space Award \u00ae - Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Polar Star Award (Polarsternpreis) \u2013 The Austrian Space Award\u00ae - honors people who are enthusiastic about space.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/en\/about-the-oewf\/polar-star-award\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-23T18:49:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oewf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/polarsternpreis_web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"990\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"370\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/\",\"name\":\"Polar Star Award - The Austrian Space Award \u00ae - Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/polarsternpreis_web.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-18T20:25:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-23T18:49:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Polar Star Award (Polarsternpreis) \u2013 The Austrian Space Award\u00ae - honors people who are enthusiastic about space.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/polarsternpreis_web.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/polarsternpreis_web.jpg\",\"width\":990,\"height\":370,\"caption\":\"Photo:\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/polar-star-award\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"About the OeWF\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oewf.org\\\/en\\\/about-the-oewf\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Polar Star Award &#8211; 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