A loose screw in space Claude Nicollier is still the only Swiss person to have been in space. What was it like to be weightless? And what does he think now about expeditions to the Moon and Mars? INTERVIEW: DÖLF BARBEN Claude Nicollier, the astronaut from Vevey, is one of Switzerland’s most famous sons. He left the Earth four times between 1992 and 1999 to spend a total of 42 days, 12 hours and five minutes in space. He impressed experts with his calmness while helping repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Nicollier celebrated his 80th birthday on 2 September 2024. There is another Swiss astronaut: Marco Sieber from Berne (see “Swiss Review” 2/2023). But he has yet to visit space. Nicollier is thus still the only Swiss person to have experienced weightlessness, for example. It’s not usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about space travel. Still, as simulations of space missions (see report on page 18) show, prolonged weightlessness cannot be replicated here on Earth. Claude Nicollier, when and how does weightlessness kick in when going into space? When the space shuttle reaches orbit and the engine cuts off, you become weightless all of a sudden. Many people don’t feel well during the first few hours, like being seasick. Once your body adjusts, you can enjoy it. How do you enjoy it? You can walk wherever you want instead of having to stay on the floor. You can walk on the ceiling or the wall. It’s a wonderful feeling. sion like this one, says Nicollier, will help their application stand out, whether for the position of astronaut or for other jobs in aerospace, of which there are many. Zimmermann found the Asclepios mission enriching and “a very rewarding communal experience”. Becoming an astronaut remains an “absolute” dream for her. A dream or an objective? She is under no illusions about her future: “It’s a job with so many incredibly interesting aspects,” she says. Unfortunately, very few peoPast meets future – astronaut Claude Nicollier taking a selfie with one of the Asclepios project participants Photo: Asclepios IV Mission ple get to become astronauts. There is no way of knowing whether there will soon be a selection process. That’s why she prefers to describe her ambition as a dream. A more realistic goal for her is to conduct research into space travel, as a space doctor, for example. She is considering such a career path but is not necessarily set on it: “My philosophy for life is to remain interested and open and see what opportunities arise.” The research centre dream And what if a job were to come up in the Antarctica station? “Yes, that would be my dream research position,” she says – explaining in the same breath how she would have to “It’s harder to come back from Antarctica than from the International Space Station, even though it’s on the same planet.” Anna Zimmermann Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 20 Report
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