Is Claude Nicollier alive?
Nicollier retired from ESA in April 2007….
| Claude Nicollier | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 September 1944 Vevey, Switzerland |
| Status | Retired from ESA |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Occupation | Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland |
Are there any Swiss astronauts?
Claude Nicollier is currently the only Swiss astronaut. After twelve years (!) of training, he flew into space for the first time on 31 July 1992 on board the US space shuttle Atlantis. He then went on three other space flights, including two missions to maintain the Hubble Space Telescope.
Who spent the longest time in space?
cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov
Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov spent 437 days on the Mir space station from 1994 and 1995 still holds the record for the longest time a person has stayed in space. The longer duration of his stay gives Vande Hei another chance to perform a spacewalk.
Why is Claude Nicollier famous?
He become the first European to spacewalk on a shuttle flight. In 2000 Nicollier was assigned to the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) branch, which was in charge of spacewalks, and he also served as the lead ESA astronaut in Houston. Nicollier retired from the Swiss air force as a captain in 2004 and from ESA in 2007.
How did Claude Nicollier become a pilot in Switzerland?
Nicollier qualified as a pilot in the Swiss air force in 1966. He earned a B.S. in physics from the University of Lausanne in 1970. He attended the Swiss Air Transport School in Zürich and qualified as an airline pilot in 1974, receiving an assignment as a DC-9 pilot for Swissair.
Where did Claude Nicollier go to graduate school?
He then worked as a graduate scientist from 1970 to 1973 at the Institute of Astronomy at the University and at the Geneva Observatory, before obtaining a MSc degree in astrophysics from the University of Geneva in 1975.
How many children does Claude Nicollier have?
Together they had two daughters, Maya (born in 1974) and Marina (born in 1978). Nicollier made a cameo appearances on the TV show Home Improvement by Touchstone Television (Series 3, Episode 24, “Reality Bytes”). ^ a b c d e f g “Astronaut Bio:C. Nicollier”.
How many days did Claude Nicollier spend in space?
Nicollier served as a mission specialist on four flights, logging a total of more than 42 days in space. On STS-46 he flew on the space shuttle Atlantis, which launched into space on July 31, 1992, and returned on August 8.