Swiss Space Office

The Swiss Space Office (SSO) is the national space program of Switzerland.^[1][2] It was roughly the 16th highest funded public space agency with a budget of about 110 million USD in the early 2000s. According to Jane's, the SSO is "the administrative unit charged with planning and implementing Swiss space policy", which was defined by the Swiss Federal Council.^[3] Located at the SSO facilities is part of the Federal Space Affairs Commission (CFAS) and a chair of the Interdepartmental Committee for Space Affairs (IKAR).^[3] Switzerland is also a member of the European Space Agency (Europäische Weltraumorganisation), providing 3.30% of the ESA budget in 2005.

In addition to the SSO, there is also the SER (State Secretariat for Education and Research). The SER and SSO are public organizations of space activities in Switzerland.

Claude Nicollier is a Swiss Astronaut and has been on several missions with the United States space program in the 1990s and is also a member of the European Astronaut Corps. By 2007 he had retired from Swiss space missions to become a professor at EPFL.^[4] Switzerland's Marc Bertschi became the head of the ESA launcher program in 2007.^[5]

Claude Nicollier performs maintenance on STS-46 in 1992

Areas of focus:^[6]

• Earth Observation
• Space Industry / Technology
• Space Navigation
• Space Science
• Human Spaceflight, Exploration and Microgravity
• Launchers
• Education Activities

Manned space missions

U.S.-Swiss Space Shuttle missions.

• STS-46 in 1992. European Retrievable Carrier EURECA Atlantis
• STS-61 in 1993. Hubble Servicing Mission 2 Endeavour
• STS-75 in 1996. TSS-1R Italian mission Columbia
• STS-103 in 1999. Hubble Servicing Mission 3A Discovery

Swiss & space technology

After elaborate testing, the Swiss Omega Speedmaster Professional watch became certified for NASA space missions in 1965 and was used by the first people on the moon

Selected examples of Swiss contributions to space exploration and technology.^[7]

• Omega Speedmaster, worn by Buzz Aldrin on the moon, and standard equipment for NASA astronauts.
• Solar sail developed at University of Bern used by the Apollo Program to measure solar wind on moon.
• ESA Ariane rocket uses Swiss RUAG Space payload fairings.
• Genesis probe sample return analyzed at Federal Institute of Technology at Zurich.
• NASA Mars Pathfinder rover used Swiss Maxon motors.^[8][9]
• University of Neuchatel contributed to the Mars Phoenix (spacecraft)

Offices

Swiss Space Office.^[10]

Hallwylstrasse 4 Bern 3003 Switzerland

Budget

In 2006, Switzerland contributed CHF 140 million ($142 million) or around 3.4% to ESA's budget.^[8] In 2005, the Swiss space industry's turnover was CHF 170 million.^[8]

See also

• Geneva Observatory
• Science and technology in Switzerland
• Zimmerwald Observatory

References

External links

• SSO-EN
• SSO-DE
• SSO-FR
• SSO-IT

Further reading

• Janes-Space-Systems-and-Industry: SSO