NASA expert Kornfeld takes over operational management of ETH Zurich Space

(CONNECT) Richard Kornfeld is returning to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) after more than 25 years working for the US space agency NASA. According to a press release, he will take over the operational management of the Center for Space Research and Education, ETH Zurich Space, from September.

Born in Zurich, Kornfeld studied electrical engineering at the ETH. Following an exchange program, he completed his doctorate in aerospace at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1996. In 1999, he began a career at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Here he was involved in various Mars programs of the authority. In addition to the Mars projects, Kornfeld was also involved in the Grace Follow-on mission, which measures changes in mass and water occurrence on the Earth's surface, and in the Europa Clipper mission to explore Jupiter's moon Europa.

In his new role as Operational Director of ETH Zurich Space, he will head up a Project Hub and an Innovation Hub. With the help of these two instruments, more Swiss experiments are to be flown into space and the space sector in Switzerland is to be promoted.

"The Project Hub supports research groups from ETH and other institutions in the implementation of space projects with ESA, NASA or other partners - for example through experienced employees such as Richard Kornfeld, who have already gained experience with space missions," Thomas Zurbuchen, Director of ETH Zurich Space, is quoted as saying in the press release. ce/ww