Prof. Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen

Thomas Zurbuchen is a Swiss-American astrophysicist and Professor of Space Science and Technology at ETH Zurich since 2023. He served as NASA's Head of Science from 2016 to 2022, where he launched 37 missions, initiated 54, and achieved milestones such as the launch of the James Webb Telescope and the Mars landings with the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter.

Zurbuchen earned a PhD in physics from the University of Bern before he joined the University of Michigan as a research associate and later became a professor of space science and aerospace engineering. His expertise in solar physics, space systems, and innovation, including the MASS sensor on NASA's WIND spacecraft, demonstrates his global recognition in space exploration and leadership.