Claude Nicollier is a Swiss astrophysicist, astronaut, and test pilot. He was one of the first European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts and participated in four Space Shuttle missions between 1992 and 1999, including two missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope. He was the first Swiss citizen to travel to space. 

·       Early Life and Education:

Claude Nicollier was born in Vevey, Switzerland, on September 2, 1944. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the University of Lausanne in 1970 and a Master of Science degree in astrophysics from the University of Geneva in 1975. 

·       Military and Airline Pilot:

He became a Swiss Air Force pilot in 1966 and an airline pilot in 1974, flying DC-9 aircraft for Swissair. He also trained as a test pilot at the Empire Test Pilot's School, Boscombe Down, United Kingdom. 

·       ESA Astronaut:

In 1978, Nicollier was selected as one of the first European astronauts by the European Space Agency (ESA). He was then detached to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for training on the US Space Shuttle. 

·       Spaceflights:

He flew on four Space Shuttle missions:

·       STS-46 (1992) 

·       STS-61 (1993), the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission 

·       STS-75 (1996) 

·       STS-103 (1999), the third Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, during which he performed an 8-hour spacewalk. 

·       Post-Astronaut Career:

After his astronaut career, Nicollier became a professor of aerospace engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne. He is also involved with "Space Innovation", Switzerland, and serves on the Federal Commission for Space Affairs. He continues to be a scientific and technical advisor for students working on space-related subjects at EPFL. 

·       Other Achievements:

Nicollier has received honorary doctorates from EPFL, the Universities of Geneva, and Basel. He also has over 6,400 flight hours, including 4,000 in jet aircraft.