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Swiss look to redraw federal map

This content was published on Jun 12, 2003 The changes strike at the very heart of the Swiss federal system and would bolster the power of the cantons. A core problem over the years, says political commentator Johann Aeschlimann, has been a gradual loss of political influence by the cantons. Aeschlimann, along with many others, claims a “creeping” centralisation has shifted the balance…

Swiss astronaut looks back on star-studded career

This content was published on Jun 10, 2003 To mark the occasion, swissinfo interviewed Swiss space veteran and ESA member, Claude Nicollier, about life as an astronaut, his space walk and his fascination for space. Nicollier – Switzerland’s only astronaut – has taken part in four space flights and has logged more than 1,000 hours in space, including an eight-hour long space walk…

Floral paradise blossoms on Brissago islands

This content was published on Jun 10, 2003 The two islands are home to the country’s most southerly botanical gardens with 1,600 different plant species from five continents. They benefit from ideal growing conditions, thanks to a Mediterranean microclimate which prevails over Lake Maggiore. “The Alps to the north protect the islands from cold northern air,” head gardener Fiorenzo Risi says. “And so…

Nicollier defends the International Space Station

This content was published on Jun 8, 2003 They claim it is well over budget and behind schedule and would be better off being scrapped entirely. It was conceived as a an international project, led by the United States and includes Russia, the European Space Agency (ESA) – of which Switzerland is a member – Canada, Brazil and Japan. Its purpose is to…

Swiss astronaut looks back on star-studded career

This content was published on Jun 8, 2003 To mark the occasion, swissinfo interviewed Swiss space veteran and ESA member, Claude Nicollier, about life as an astronaut, his space walk and his fascination for space. Nicollier – Switzerland’s only astronaut – has taken part in four space flights and has logged more than 1,000 hours in space, including an eight-hour long space walk…

Hole in the ground to probe secrets of the universe

This content was published on Jun 5, 2003 On Wednesday, the Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin, inaugurated a huge underground cavern near Geneva, which will house an experiment called Atlas. Standing as high as a six-storey building and twice as long, Atlas will almost fill the purpose-built cavern which has been excavated over the past two years. The particle detector should help physicists understand…

Swiss bridge gap between engineering and art

This content was published on Jun 3, 2003 The exhibition at Princeton University aims to show how the group played a key role in transforming engineering into an art form. David Billington, the show’s curator and a professor of engineering at Princeton, says some of the most acclaimed structures in the US are the work of Swiss design, including New York’s George Washington…

Space-X takes pictures on Mars

This content was published on Jun 2, 2003 The cameras, put together by the Space-X company after more than ten years of research, will be seeking traces of life and water on the planet. After travelling for about six months, the Beagle 2 lander, which houses the cameras, will leave the Mars Express orbiter for the final five-day descent. If all goes according…

Switzerland joins Europe’s first mission to Mars

This content was published on Jun 2, 2003 Switzerland is part of the Mars Express team and has contributed funding and key equipment to the mission. The unmanned spacecraft blasted off on schedule from the space launch centre in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on Monday. Once on Mars, the craft will begin orbiting the planet. It is carrying a lander, which is due to touch…

Parliament approves Kyoto protocol

This content was published on Jun 2, 2003 On Monday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly endorsed the United Nations treaty on climate change. Although parliamentary approval was never in doubt, Philippe Roch, the director of the Swiss Environment Agency, maintains a major sea change in people’s thinking and behaviour will be needed if the Kyoto goals are to be met. “We are working…

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Swiss look to redraw federal map

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Swiss astronaut looks back on star-studded career

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Floral paradise blossoms on Brissago islands

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Nicollier defends the International Space Station

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Swiss astronaut looks back on star-studded career

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Hole in the ground to probe secrets of the universe

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Swiss bridge gap between engineering and art

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Space-X takes pictures on Mars

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Switzerland joins Europe’s first mission to Mars

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Parliament approves Kyoto protocol

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