Erwin De Donder is working as a scientist at the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy within the space physics department where he is co-leading the Space Weather Group. His field of expertise is space radiation and the effects on avionics. As application engineer and project manager, he mainly works on the further development of ESA’s SPace ENVironment Information System (SPENVIS) with a focus on space radiation modelling and effects analysis.

In the framework of ESA’s S2P (before SSA) Space Weather Service Network, he has largely contributed to the organization of end-user support campaigns for spacecraft operation and aviation. Before his adventure in Space Weather, Erwin was doing research in the field of close binary star evolution and its impact on the chemical enrichment of galaxies, in combination with teaching physics. Erwin holds a PhD in astrophysics and a degree in teaching and learning.