EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 20i6 Cover Illustration : 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko ESA/ROSETTA ©ESA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 201 6 Table of Contents 5 Introduction 6 Mission 7 Members 8 ESA Council at Ministerial Level 2016 9 CERN – From High Energy Physics to Aerospace 10 Working groups – Platform to Share Competences 11 EURECA – On the Road Again! 14 National Activities 17 International Collaborations 18 Space Careers Events 19 National Trainee Program 21 NPI 22 Education 25 Public Activities 27 Member’s Word 5 Introduction Dear members, partners and friends of the Swiss Space Center 2016 will be remembered as an exciting and a resounding societal echo. The results are active year for the Space sector in general and assisting ESA to gather valuable information for the Swiss Space Center (SSC) in particular. about the views of member states’ citizens, Our staff as well as our Working Group for instance on space in general and their members have been much solicited for the opinions on the type of activities states and implementation of a variety of projects. These the agencies should engage in. In parallel, include the “Mesures de Positionnement”, the third National Trainee Program call, with 2016 marking the end of the 2014 edition the Space Career Roadshow as well as and the beginning for the ones selected for outreach to the younger generation were this year; well-attended continuing education also successfully carried out. These not only classes and the provision of input for the strengthen the SSC’s network nationally Swiss Space Implementation Plan update, to and internationally, but also ensure that our name a few. The SSC Steering Committee’s younger generation is increasingly aware constant support, involvement and dedicated of possibilities for a career in space, in work have been instrumental in achieving Switzerland or elsewhere. these goals. Last but not least, 2016 also saw a change Next to member specific activities and in the composition of the SSC’s Board of events organized for the whole Swiss space Directors. The new Board is committed community, the SSC went beyond its usual to building on previous accomplishments scope of work with the implementation of and aims for the SSC to continue in this the national ESA Citizen’s debate that had direction. President of the Board of Directors Director Renato Krpoun Volker Gass 6 Mission A Link Between Institutions, Academia and Industry 2016 marked the submission of the National The Swiss Space Center’s mission Research and Innovation message at the remains: parliamentary level. One of the informative instruments regarding the Space Policy is “To provide a service supporting Switzerland’s “Swiss Space Implementation institutions, academia and industry Plan”. This document is currently under to access space missions and related revision and Swiss Space Center members applications, and promote interaction were allowed to provide input, thus between these stakeholders.” contributing in shaping the space future of our country. Role n To network Swiss research institutions and n To facilitate access to and implementation industries on national and international of space projects for Swiss research levels, in order to establish focused areas institutions and industries; of excellence, internationally recognized n To provide education and training; for both space R&D and applications; n To promote public awareness of space. Steering Committee Tasked with the approval of new members, n Prof. Markus Rothacher (ETHZ), chairman organization of working groups and n Prof. Juan Mosig (EPFL) preparation of the workplan, the members of n Dr. Urs Frei (SSO) the steering committee met regularly under n Prof. Samuel Krucker (Academy the chairmanship of Prof. Nico De Rooij. representative) Elections were held in the fall of 2016, n Dr. Antonia Neels (RTO representative) partially renewing the members’ n Mr. Urs Meier (Industry representative) representatives. The new composition was n Mr. Christian Schori (Industry presented during the annual assembly: representative) 7 Members A network in expansion In 2016 the Swiss Space Center welcomed one new industrial member (Solenix) and one partner (CERN). Three additional members (University of Zürich, Synopta and Schott) were accepted by the SC in September with a contract starting in January 2017. Without counting the BoD (SSO, EPFL, academies (Swiss Federal Institutes, ETHZ), 29 members from all over Universities, Universities of Applied Sciences) Switzerland representing all the types of and Research and Technology Organisations companies (large, medium and start-up), (RTOs) are part of the network. Membership 2017 Swiss Space Center Members (Q1 2017) 8 The European Space Community United in Switzerland This year Switzerland has had the great honor to welcome the European Space Community in Switzerland as a host of the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial level (ESA CM’16). Credit: ESA Stephane Corvaja, 2016. The ESA Council at Ministerial level is committed, which will help to further foster the main steering body of the European Europe’s competitiveness in the dynamic Space Agency, consisting of the ministers global markets of space launchers, space of the 22 ESA member states and the two infrastructure and related services to associate states, Slovenia and Canada. governments and citizens. The decisions The ESA Council Meeting at ministerial taken will allow the fulfillment significant level is convened every 3 to 4 years to set industrial and scientific activities in Europe, the strategic, programmatic and financial which create jobs and contribute to growth directives for the European Space Agency through innovation. and thus decisively shaping European space activities. The meeting was held at the Culture and Congress Center Lucerne (KKL) on As a founding member of ESA, Switzerland 1-2 December 2016. The exceptional setting is an active, reliable and indispensable of the meeting in Lucerne with its many partner of the European Space Community. cultural, natural and historical highlights As a part of its commitment, Switzerland gave an excellent image of Switzerland for has held the agency’s presidency of the the European guests. The speech by Claude Council at ministerial level together with Nicollier in the Swiss Museum of Transport Luxembourg since 2012. The ESA CM’16 (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz) has been a very in Lucerne concluded the successful co- memorable highlight during these intense presidency. In addition to the “Level of days. Resources”, which includes the science program and ESA basic activities, the The Swiss Space Center is proud and ministers decided on the commencement honored to have supported the SERI/SSO or the continuation of about 30 different in the organization of the ESA CM’16 in programs covering all domains of space Switzerland and in this way to contribute to activities. In total over 10 billion Euros were the success of this meeting. 9 CERN – From High Energy Physics to Aerospace 1 The Swiss Space Center signed an agreement with CERN on June 3, 2016, during the CERN/SSC Technology Transfer event, entitled “From High Energy Physics to Aerospace – Collaboration Opportunities”. SSC-CERN signature of the agreement.. This event, organized by the CERN Knowledge valued the newly established links between the Transfer Group together with the SSC, two entities. aimed at presenting a selection of relevant technologies and facilities from CERN to the “Both space and CERN large particle Swiss aerospace industry and research groups. physics facilities present extremely harsh The agreement will strengthen links between environments, posing stringent technological CERN and the SSC and aims to facilitate the requirements that often overlap” says Enrico establishment of further bilateral or multilateral Chesta, the CERN KT Aerospace Applications projects with SSC partners interested in Coordinator. SSC Deputy Director Grégoire R&D or potential commercial exploitation of Bourban adds: “The aim is to focus on CERN technologies. Switzerland has a strong technology transfer towards the Swiss space tradition of R&D in the aerospace sector, as industry and aerospace technology spin-ins.” well as substantial links between research institutes and industry related to space, making During the one-day meeting attended by it a strategic partner for CERN. representatives of the 32 members of the SSC, several technologies of potential mutual Martin Steinacher, the Director for Finances interest were showcased, including a pilot and Human Resources at CERN, emphasized implementation project related to micro- that the agreement coincides with CERN’s technology for thermal management of dedication to increase the transfer of CERN’s detectors and space systems. Other possible technologies and knowledge to the aerospace collaborations include the use of CERN’s sector. The Director of the Swiss Space Center, irradiation facilities for space qualification Prof. Volker Gass, expressed his appreciation activities. Participants were invited to visit of CERN’s technical capability to contribute guided tours of the CERN Computing Center, significantly to aerospace applications, and CHARM irradiation facility and the Payload Operations Control Centre of the Alpha 1 Text from CERN newsletter July 2016 Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02). 10 Working groups Platform to Share Competencies On December 3, 2015, the members of the youngest working group, Earth Observation and Remote Sensing (EO&RS), held their first meeting.. Swiss Space Center Industry Partner Org. (CERN/ESA)