Speakers

Speaker profile

Daniel Leeb is the Executive Mission Director and CEO of the Iceland Space Agency (ISA), a privately organized, non-governmental institution that works directly with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation and the University of Iceland.

He currently leads interdisciplinary teams developing research solutions that position Iceland as a key partner in space exploration, innovation, and planetary science.

In 2023, Daniel was named Co-Chair of the International Mars Exploration Analog Working Group, participated in the first ESA/NASA-led Mars Sample Return Analog collection mission, coordinated and led Iceland’s signing of the Artemis Accords, and became a Co-Investigator and collaborator on the NASA-funded HABMARS research project, led by Dr. Roy Price. This spring, the ISA launched the TACAT project to leverage remote sensing and AI/ML to map and analyze the evolving terrestrial analogs in the Arctic with their celestial counterparts.

On July 20th, the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Daniel launched the ISA’s MÁNI program, which will utilize Iceland’s lunar and Martian terrain to inform, test, and train Artemis-related technology, crews, and missions. In September the ISA hosted the International Mars Exploration Working Group in Reykjavik, bringing together 15 of the world’s leading space agencies to discuss international collaboration on current and future Mars missions.

In December 2024, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation announced funding for the Iceland Research Institute of Space Science (IRISS) which will be a partnership between the University of Iceland, University of Akureyri, University of the Arts, and the Iceland Space Agency.  IRISS constitutes a significant leap for Iceland, it will be a hub for Iceland’s brightest minds to collaborate with the global space community, forming partnerships across the academic, public, and private sectors, Daniel will be leading the establishment of IRISS in 2025.

Daniel Leeb also serves on the advisory council of the Krach Institute of Tech Diplomacy and the advisory board of the Scientific Exploration Society. His mission statement for both the ISA and IRISS is:

“To inspire future generations to reach for the stars while fostering a deeper understanding and conservation of the Earth beneath our feet.”