Speaker of the day: Claude Nicollier — Leadership & Management

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Claude Nicollier is a Swiss astronaut born in 1944 in Vevey. A renowned astrophysicist, he became the first Swiss person in space during the STS-46 mission. He has completed four missions aboard various space shuttles, two of which were dedicated to the repair and servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. During the first mission, he operated the shuttle's remote manipulator arm and thus performed the first-ever on-orbit capture of the space telescope.

After completing his studies in Lausanne and spending three years at the Astronomy Institute of the University of Lausanne, he joined the Swiss Civil Aviation School in Zurich in 1974 before being hired as an airline pilot for Swissair.

In 1975, he earned a postgraduate certificate in astrophysics from the University of Geneva and began working as a researcher. In 1978, ESA selected him for the first group of European astronauts. He then joined NASA to complete his training and specialize for future space missions. As a captain in the Swiss Air Force, he already piloted numerous aircraft types, possessing comprehensive mastery of them.

Today, he teaches at EPFL, lecturing on space engineering. He actively participates in numerous associations, including: the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Swiss Air Force Officers Association, and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences. He is also a member of the British Interplanetary Society, Honorary Member of the Swiss Aero Club and the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA), and President of the Foundation of the Payerne Military Aviation Museum. He serves on the board of directors of Swatch Group and is an honorary member of the "Schweizer Astronomietag Verein". Finally, he is a member of the Honorary Committee of ASED (Action for the Support of Deprived Children) and a member of the Air and Space Academy (corresponding member in 2013, full member in 2015).

In addition, he actively takes part in the Solar Impulse adventure as Head of Flight Test Operations.

Claude Nicollier now delivers keynote speeches on space exploration and future challenges. Languages spoken by the speaker:

• English
• French

Claude Nicollier delivers keynotes across Switzerland and internationally. With UnoMe, discover key insights from a prominent astronaut who has completed major spaceflight missions. Explore his keynote topics:

• Chronicle of Space Exploration: 50 Years Since Man on the Moon
• Risk Management in Complex Environments
• Astronomy
• How to Train Astronauts
• The Stakes of Space Exploration

He has completed four major missions:

• Mission STS-46 in 1992 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis (July 31 to August 8, 1992)
• Mission STS-61 in 1993 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (December 2–13, 1993)
• Mission STS-75 in 1996 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (February 22 to March 9, 1996)
• Mission STS-103 in December 1999 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (December 19–27, 1999)