Swiss-born NASA science chief Zurbuchen to step down
Zurbuchen joined NASA in 2016.
Keystone/Anthony Anex
Thomas Zurbuchen, a Swiss-American astrophysicist, says he will quit as science chief of the United States space agency (NASA) at the end of this year.
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He has served as head of the science mission directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency for more than six years, shepherding the agency’s about 100 space missions.
The 54-year-old Zurbuchen notably oversaw the successful deployment of the James Webb space telescope and the Perseverance rover for the mission to the planet Mars.
“Over the years, our NASA team has reached unimaginable goals that have strengthened the program. Now is the time for change, and the opportunity to give other great leaders the chance to push the boundaries and take our program to new heights,” he announced on Tuesday.
Zurbuchen studied physics and mathematics at the Swiss university of Bern. In 2008 he became professor at the University of Michigan and joined NASA in 2016.
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‘Is there life out there?’ This man’s in charge of trying to find out
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Fifty years after the moon landing, what's next for NASA? The man at the head of the space agency's Science Mission Directorate tells swissinfo.ch.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.