Claude Nicollier
Claude Nicollier
Claude Nicollieris the first astronaut from Switzerland, and has flown on four Space Shuttle missions. His first spaceflightwas in 1992, and his final spaceflightwas in 1999. He took part in two servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. During his final spaceflight he participated in a spacewalk, becoming the first European Space Agency astronaut to do so during a Space Shuttle mission. In 2000 he was assigned to the Astronaut Office Extravehicular Activity Branch, while maintaining a position as Lead...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAstronaut
Date of Birth2 September 1944
CityVevey, Switzerland
CountryUnited States of America
Claude Nicollier quotes about
We have the Fine Guidance Sensors, one of which we will exchange out of three. Another one we changed on the last servicing mission, and on the fourth servicing mission in 2003 or 2004, the third one will be exchanged.
I didn't think that, as a Swiss, it was possible to do that, although I was really dreaming to do that. It was an impossible dream.
In a way, what we do is not totally different from some of the tasks that will be performed for the assembly of the International Space Station.
I think a benefit is that we try to put it up in a short time. From the decision to do this mission until we fly, it's six months and one week or so, so it's a very short time.
The computer that is presently on board is a relatively old computer that has limited capability in terms of its speed and its memory capacity.
You can see these boxes which are covered with metal foils for thermal reasons, and they are also, most of the time, thermally controlled inside to keep reasonable temperature inside each of these containers.