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NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery and ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang during final training at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

A journey from particle physics to outer space

Particle physics can take you a long way – even into space! On 10 December 2006 at 02:47 (CET), Christer Fuglesang, an ex-CERN physicist-turned-astronaut embarked on his first mission on board space shuttle Discovery. The forty-nine year old also had the honour of being the first Swede in space.

Christer Fuglesang is an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), a partner of the International Space Station (ISS). Prior to joining ESA's Astronaut Corps in 1992, he was a particle physicist at CERN. Having received a doctorate in experimental particle physics from the University of Stockholm in 1987, he joined CERN in 1988. Christer worked on the UA5 experiment that studied proton-antiproton collisions in the SPS Collider. He later worked on the CPLEAR experiment and was appointed a CERN Fellow, as well as the coordinator of the particle identification sub-detector. Christer also contributed briefly to the LHC accelerator project before he took up his new position with ESA.

In 2002, ten years after his first enrolment into 'astronaut school', he was selected as a crewmember on the STS-116 space shuttle mission. The mission carried out a series of complex tasks to continue the construction of the ISS. Christer played a major role; in particular he performed three spacewalks to attach a new truss section to the exterior of the space station, and to change the station's electrical power supply.

Christer's research background in physics helped to make him a prime candidate as a fledging astronaut. In addition to the close connection between particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, his hands-on experience with experimental hardware and high technology from many fields, within the international environment at CERN all contributed to the job. In an article he wrote for the CERN Courier a few years ago, Christer explained in details how his training in particle physics at CERN prepared him for a career in space.

A scientist at heart, he continues to conduct experiments, such as the SilEye experiment to investigate light flashes in the eyes experienced by most astronauts in space. He also initiated the DESIRE project to simulate and estimate the radiation environment inside the ISS. For mission STS-116, Christer conducted a series of experiments to assess the effects of cosmic radiation on human physiology. He also wore a personal dosimeter to measure the cumulated dose of radiation received through the flight.

Christer Fuglesang's personal role within STS-116 is called mission "Celsius", after the 18th century Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius who invented the well known temperature scale, often also referred to as 'centigrade'. Mission STS-116 carried out by Christer and the other six crewmembers lasted 13 days.

In 1985, another ex-CERN physicist, Ernst Messerschmid, also ventured into outer space. He was a crew member on the STS-61A Challenger mission.

See also ESA special web pages on the Celsius mission.

December 2006
Last revised: 9 Feb 2007