TheSwiss Space Office (SSO) is the federal government's competence centre for national and international space matters. In its role it cooperates closely with other federal offices and is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the policy and strategic orientations of the space domain in Switzerland.^[1] The SSO is part of theState Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation. The Head of the SSO is Dr. Renato Krpoun.^[2]

The SSO ensures international cooperation in the space sector and promotes contacts with foreign partners. It represents Swiss interests in international organisations and international cooperation programmes. The most important instrument for implementing Swiss space policy is the participation of Switzerland inEuropean Space Agency (ESA) programmes and activities. State Secretary Prof. Dr.Martina Hirayama and Dr. Renato Krpoun lead the delegation to ESA at ministerial,^[3] respectively delegate level.^[4]

Switzerland is a founding member of theEuropean Space Agency, and has actively participated in European space development since 1960. The Swiss Space Office opened in 1998. The role of the SSO expanded to cover all aspects of space policy in 2000, when thenew national constitution came into force.^[5]

According toJane's, the SSO is "the administrative unit charged with planning and implementing Swiss space policy", which was defined by theSwiss Federal Council.^[6] The SSO office inBern includes theFederal Commission for Space Affairs (CFAS), and theInterdepartmental Coordination Committee for Space Affairs (IKAR).^[1]

Claude Nicollier is a Swiss Astronaut and has been on several missions with the United Statesspace program in the 1990s and is also a member of theEuropean Astronaut Corps. By 2007 he had retired from Swiss space missions to become a professor atEPFL.^[7] Switzerland'sMarc Bertschi became the head of the ESA launcher program in 2007.^[8]

U.S.-SwissSpace Shuttle missions:

• STS-46 in 1992. European Retrievable CarrierEURECAAtlantis
• STS-61 in 1993.Hubble Servicing Mission 2Endeavour
• STS-75 in 1996.TSS-1R Italian missionColumbia
• STS-103 in 1999.Hubble Servicing Mission 3ADiscovery

Selected examples of Swiss contributions to space exploration and technology.^[9]

• Omega Speedmaster, worn byBuzz Aldrin on the Moon during theApollo 11 mission, and standard equipment for NASA astronauts.
• Solar sail developed atUniversity of Bern used by theApollo Program to measuresolar wind on the Moon.
• ESAAriane rocket uses Swiss RUAG Space payload fairings.
• Genesis probe sample return analyzed atFederal Institute of Technology atZurich.
• NASAMars Pathfinder rover used Swiss Maxon motors.^[10][11]
• University of Neuchatel contributed to the MarsPhoenix (spacecraft).
• University of Bern developed an ultra stable light source for testing NASA'sTESS space telescope.
• CHEOPS (CHaracterisingExOPlanetsSatellite)space telescope developed at theUniversity of Bern.
• The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) is a high-resolution, 4.5 m per pixel (15 ft/pixel), colour stereo camera on boardESA'sTrace Gas Orbiter developed at theUniversity of Bern.

• Headquarters, CFAS, and IKAR:Bern
• Delegation to the European Space Agency:Paris
• Delegation to ESA at the European Union:Brussels

In 2006, Switzerland contributed CHF 140 million ($142 million) or around 3.4% toESA's budget.^[10] In 2005, the Swiss space industry's turnover was CHF 170 million.^[10]

• List of government space agencies
• Geneva Observatory
• Science and technology in Switzerland
• Zimmerwald Observatory

• Webpage Swiss Space Office (English)
• Webpage Swiss Space Office (German)
• Webpage Swiss Space Office (French)
• Webpage Swiss Space Office (Italian)

• Janes-Space-Systems-and-Industry: SSO

• Space agencies
• Space program of Switzerland

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• Articles with dead external links from January 2019
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata