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Swiss space research – Former Nasa research head Zurbuchen will soon teach at ETH Zurich – News

26 May 2023

The former head of research at the space agency NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen, will teach at ETH Zurich in the future.
He will take over the management of ETH Zurich Space from August.
This initiative aims to expand space research and teaching at ETH and strengthen cooperation with the space industry.

He is considered one of the most influential researchers in the world and has had a decisive influence on space science: Thomas Zurbuchen. After more than 20 years in the USA he returns to his home country. From August he will lead the ETH Zurich Space initiative as ETH Professor of Space Science and Technology. The university has thus achieved a veritable coup

Legend:

ETH Zurich has landed a coup by signing Thomas Zurbuchen.

ETH Zurich / Oliver Bartenschlager

The ETH Zurich Space initiative was founded in October 2022 to expand space research and teaching at ETH. Cooperation with partners from science, industry and space agencies such as ESA and Nasa should also be strengthened.

“With his know-how and his network, Thomas Zurbuchen is the perfect leader of this initiative,” explains Vanessa Wood, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Business Relations at ETH Zurich. Together with her team, she was largely responsible for Zurbuchen’s decision to go to ETH Zurich.

Moon robots, marsquakes and earth-like exoplanets

There is already a lot of ETH research related to space: ETH researchers are developing robots for use on the moon, searching for earth-like exoplanets and studying earthquakes on Mars.

After studying physics and mathematics, Thomas Zurbuchen received his doctorate in 1996 from the University of Bern.

After moving to the University of Michigan, he was appointed full professor of space research and space technology there in 2008. He is known for driving innovation and linking research with business. While at the University of Michigan, he founded the Center for Entrepreneurship.

In 2016 he became director of science at the space agency Nasa and stayed in this position until the end of 2022 – longer than anyone before him. One of his greatest achievements in this capacity is the James Webb telescope.

«The technology and scientific space research at the ETH is at a high level. Thanks to the ETH contributions to the James Webb telescope and the InSight Mars mission, I experienced this first-hand when I was head of research at NASA,” says Zurbuchen. However, ETH’s potential in terms of science, technology and entrepreneurship is far greater.

Switzerland and Europe should benefit

With Thomas Zurbuchen, ETH Zurich will have a star of space research in its ranks from August. In the future, however, the other Swiss universities should also benefit from this, so that Switzerland can further expand its role in space research and space travel.

Christian von Burg, science editor at SRF: “The fact that Thomas Zurbuchen is coming to ETH Zurich surprised me – as did all the space specialists I spoke to. With his contacts to leading scientists and industry worldwide, he is a really big fish. ETH and the whole of Switzerland can consider themselves lucky to have made this catch.

The ETH has made contributions to the James Webb telescope and the InSight Mars mission. However, the University of Bern has significantly more and longer experience with space missions. ETH is now trying to catch up. Two years ago, she engaged the Swiss Nobel Prize winner and astronomer Didier Queloz as a professor, now the former Nasa chief of science Zurbuchen. That’s a huge leap in terms of reputation.”

In his new role, he wants to take space research at ETH to a new level: “The space sector is experiencing rapid dynamism worldwide. We want to ensure that Switzerland and Europe take advantage of the new opportunities, remain competitive and increase their international visibility,” explains the former NASA science director. For him, ETH Zurich is the best place to advance these visions.

New master’s degree in space science

In addition to expanding research and knowledge transfer, his focus as an ETH professor will be on teaching: “I want to launch one of the world’s best interdisciplinary master’s programs in space science and technology to train the next generation of space executives,” says Zurbuchen.

This and the other goals of the former Nasa director coincided with the strategic plans of the school management, says ETH President Joël Mesot. “That’s why I’m all the more pleased that Thomas Zurbuchen chose ETH Zurich despite numerous offers from top universities around the world.”