Claude Nicollier

Former ESA Astronaut, NASA Mission Specialist, EPFL Professor of Spatial Technology & Test Pilot

Claude Nicollier Biography:

Claude Nicollier is a Swiss astronaut, physicist and professor, best known as the first Swiss citizen to travel into space. A veteran of four Space Shuttle missions, Claude built an international reputation through his work with ESA and NASA, later becoming Lead ESA Astronaut in Houston. As a keynote speaker, he shares first-hand insight from more than 1,000 hours in space, including his historic spacewalk on a Hubble servicing mission.

Born in Lausanne in 1944, Claude developed an early passion for science and aviation. He studied physics at the University of Lausanne, graduating in 1970, before completing a postgraduate diploma in astrophysics at the University of Geneva. Alongside his academic career, he qualified as a Swiss Air Force pilot, later flying Hawker Hunter and Northrop F-5E aircraft, eventually logging more than 6,500 flight hours. He became an airline pilot for Swissair in 1974 and in 1988 graduated from the Empire Test Pilots’ School in the United Kingdom, strengthening his technical expertise and operational discipline.

In 1978, Claude was selected as part of the first group of European Space Agency astronauts, a milestone moment for European space exploration. Two years later, he joined NASA’s astronaut corps as a mission specialist, becoming the first non-American to qualify as a full-time NASA astronaut. His spaceflight career included missions aboard Atlantis, Endeavour, Columbia and Discovery. He played a pivotal role in the first servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope, STS-61, helping to correct the mirror defect that had compromised its images. In 1999, during STS-103, Claude conducted an eight-hour spacewalk, becoming the first ESA astronaut to perform an EVA from a Space Shuttle. Beyond flight assignments, he served as Head of the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch and later received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the Albert Einstein Medal in recognition of his contribution to space science.

Why Hire Claude Nicollier?

As a speaker, Claude translates complex technical missions into clear lessons on leadership, preparation and teamwork under pressure. He draws on experiences such as servicing Hubble in orbit to illustrate the importance of precision, trust and resilience. His talks cover space mission design, innovation, astronaut training and solar powered aviation. Organisations seeking perspective on high performance and calculated risk benefit from Claude’s rare combination of academic rigour, operational command and real spaceflight experience.

Claude Nicollier’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Claude Nicollier’s remarkable career in innovation:

• 2025 – Keynote speaker at the 29th Dies academicus, presenting ‘Earth from Space’
• 2025 – Featured contributor to ESA Career 2025
• 2025 – Speaker at the Dubai Airshow Space Pavilion
• 2011 – Awarded Doctor Honoris Causa, Business School Lausanne
• 2007 – Appointed Full Professor of Spatial Technology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
• 2001 – Received NASA Distinguished Service Medal
• 1999 – Performed first ESA spacewalk from a Space Shuttle (STS-103)
• 1998 – Awarded Albert Einstein Medal
• 1997 – Inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame
• 1994 – Received Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal
• 1993 – Mission Specialist on first Hubble servicing mission (STS-61)
• 1992 – First spaceflight (STS-46), becoming first Swiss astronaut in space