Award for renowned Swiss space researcher
Thomas Zurbuchen, former NASA Science Director, has won a prestigious award recognising his contributions to the aerospace community.
The search for life in the universe has captured the human imagination for millennia. For Swiss astrophysicist Thomas Zurbuchen, this fascination became a vocation. Having shaped the future of space science in the United States for over two decades, he has returned to Switzerland to guide a new generation of space exploration at ETH Zurich.
A career at the heart of NASA
Zurbuchen is one of the most influential space scientists of recent decades. As NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate – responsible for all of NASA's science projects – he oversaw the launch of 37 missions and the initiation of 54 others, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Mars landings with the Perseverance rover. He managed annual budgets of up to USD 8 billion and oversaw the work of 8,000 employees.
After spending more than six years in one of the world's most demanding scientific leadership positions and over twenty years in the US, Zurbuchen felt that the time was right for a new chapter.
Developing ETH Zurich's space activities
In 2023, he returned to Switzerland to head the newly established ETH Zurich Space initiative, a programme designed to strengthen research, education, and international cooperation in space science. ETH Zurich has a rich legacy in this field; its researchers have developed robots such as SpaceBok, LunarLeaper and SpaceHopper, thanks to over five decades of collaboration with the European Space Agency. Just one year after launching the ETH Space initiative, the university introduced a Master's degree in Space Systems to train future space industry specialists.
Prestigious award in space research
Now 57, Zurbuchen has been honoured with the AIAA von Braun Award for Excellence in Space Program Management, one of the most prestigious distinctions in the field. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics granted him the award for his exemplary leadership of NASA's science programme and for the successful execution of civilisation-scale missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope, Mars 2020 and the Parker Solar Probe.
Science, combined with bold leadership and collaboration, is one of the most powerful forces for good in the service of humanity.
The laudation recognised not only his expertise but also his ability to foster innovation. Under his leadership NASA advanced weather and space weather forecasting, developed sensor technologies with broad applications, and created economic opportunities for new and existing companies. His unique ability to bring together diverse teams and enable them to achieve groundbreaking results was also highlighted in the laudation.