Call for Interest – Opportunities for experiments on ESA Astronaut Marco Sieber’s flight to the ISS
Marco Sieber recently qualified as ESA astronaut. His first mission to the International Space Station ISS is expected to take place between 2027 and 2029. The Swiss Space Office is issuing a Call for interest for scientific and technological experiments to be conducted during his mission. This Call is open to Swiss institutes and companies. Deadline: 31.01.2025.
After graduating from the European Space Agency’s ESA basic training in April 2024, Marco Sieber has become Switzerland’s second astronaut. A medical doctor, he is now a member of the ESA astronaut corps and currently undergoing advanced training. Marco Sieber will be the first Swiss national to fly a six-month mission to the International Space Station ISS. Although the date of his first flight has not yet been set, it is expected to take place between 2027 and 2029.
During their six-month missions on board the ISS, ESA astronauts can dedicate some resources to experiments proposed by Participating States in ESA’s Human and Robotic Exploration programme. Preference is given to experiments proposed by the country of origin of the ESA astronaut.
In this context there is now a window of opportunity for Switzerland to promote experiments that could be flown on board the ISS during Marco Sieber’s mission. As a first step, the Swiss Space Office (SSO), in its capacity as the Swiss Delegation to ESA, is calling upon stakeholders in Switzerland to express their interest in providing potential experiments.
All details regarding the guidelines and the application are found on the SERI website.