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international relations: France / United States of America: 1953-1963 28-29
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INT633 - Balsiger, Hans
from Oral History of Europe in Space collection
Date of birth
12/09/1937
Place of birth
Bern (Switzerland)
Nationality
CH
- Academic Titles: Lizentiat (Physics) (M.S.), University of Bern, 1964; Dr. Phil. Nat. (PhD), University of Bern, 1967; Venia docendi,
University of Bern, 1979 – Honours: Prix Cortaillod, University of Neuchâtel, 1981; Member, International Academy of Astronautics, 1990;
Member, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea, 1991; Member, Academia Europaea, 1992. - Positions held: 1963-1966:
Hilfsassistent, Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern; 1966-1968: Assistent, Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern; 1968:
Oberassistent, Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern; 1968-1970: Postdoctoral Fellow (ESRO/NASA), Space Science Department, Rice
University, Houston, Texas; 1970: Oberassistent-Lektor (Lecturer), University of Bern; 1979: Privatdozent (Assistant Professor),
University of Bern; 1984: Extraordinarius (Associate Professor), University of Bern; 1984-2003 (Feb.): Co-Head, Division for Space
Research and Planetology, University of Bern; 1990: Ordinarius (Full Professor of Physics), University of Bern; 1993-2002: Director,
Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern (as of 1.10.). Since March 2003 retired. - Committee work / chairmanships: 1979-1986:
Scientific Assistant to the Chairman, Space Science Committee, European Science Foundation; 1982-1985: Member of the Solar System
Working Group (SSWG) of the European Space Agency (ESA); 1986: Chairman of SSWG (ESA); 1987-1990: Chairman of Space Science
Advisory Committee (ESA); 1987-1998: Chairman of the "Kommission für Weltraumforschung", Swiss Academy of Sciences. Since 1989:
Member of the "Eidg. Kommission für Weltraumfragen"; 1990-1991: Chairman of Lunar Study Steering Group (ESA). Since 1991:
Akademische Kommission, University of Bern. Since 1993: Forschungsrat, Swiss National Science Foundation; 1994-1999: Member of the
Long-term Space Policy Committee (ESA); 1996-1999: Chairman of the Science Programme Committee (ESA). Since 2004: President of
the International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat. - Relevant scientific experience Participation in
design of upper-atmosphere mass spectrometer (University of Bern). Calibration and data analysis of Apollo ALSEP Suprathermal Ion
Detector Experiment (Rice University, Houston). Analysis of composition of lunar and meteoritic samples. Co-Investigator and Project
Manager, Ion Mass Spectrometer on GEOS (University of Bern), Co-Investigator, Plasma Composition Experiment on ISEE-1. Co-
Investigator, Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer on ULYSSES. Co-Investigator on Dynamics Explorer and AMPTE Energetic Ion
Mass Spectrometers. Principal Investigator on Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer (University of Bern). Co-Investigator on the Ion Mass
Spectrometers on the satellite missions WIND, POLAR, SOHO, and CLUSTER. Principal Investigator of the mass spectrometer ROSINA on
the comet mission Rosetta (University of Bern). - Publications: more than 170 scientific papers.
Name of interviewer
S. Zellmeyer
Date of recording
11/04/2008
Transcript
pdf format, 15 pages
Cited persons
Kopp,Ernest Geiss,Johannes Creola,Peter Bonnet,Roger-Maurice Oschger,Hans
Interview language
DE
Topics Pages
international space exploration: Switzerland: mass spectrometry / space technology: aerospace industry /
university: 1958-1967
ESA: GEOS satellite: Switzerland: aerospace industry / university 4
ESA: Giotto mission / Ulysses mission: NASA / Switzerland: aerospace industry / university: mass
spectrometry
ESA: Rosetta mission 6
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