Écublens, Vaud, Switzerland
Former scientist, Swiss Air Force pilot and astronaut with an operational experience in aviation and astronautics. Following academic studies in physics and astrophysics, went through advanced training as as ESA astronaut and was a crew member on four Space Shuttle missions (including two to Hubble for repairs), before being assigned teaching duties at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Teaching a course on "Space Mission Design and Operations" at EPFL Supporting the activities of the "Space Innovation" Team, and participating in the supervision of EPFL student projects (Masters and PhD levels) in the field of aerospace
This Museum hosts all jet aircraft used in the Swiss Air Force since 1950, and that are no longer in service, as well as turbine powered helicopters during the same period. Two of these aircraft (Hawker Hunter TMk 68 and Mirage III DS, both two-seaters) were brought back in flying status and were displayed in various air shows and used for flying passengers. Flight operation ceased for the Hunter in 2014, and for the Mirage in 2023. See the Museum's web site for details (www.clindailes.ch). I was one of the Hunter pilots from 2004 until the end of 2014.
President of Board of Directors, CSEM
I was the lead in the flight test program of the Solar Impulse prototype aircraft HB-SIA, as well as final aircraft HB-SIB - these were a couple of single-seat experimental aircraft powered by four electric motors and using solar energy only for propulsion, with storage of this energy in bartteries. It could fly day and night climbing up to 28000 ft and loading batteries during the day, then slowly descending like a glider in local late afternoon and first part of the night, and using the electrical energy stored in the batteries for the rest of the night. Same scenario the next sunny day, and so on... for theoretically perpetual flight!