Swiss space researcher Thomas Zurbuchen to join Blue Origin

Thomas Zurbuchen will leave ETH Zurich for Blue Origin, taking charge of the US company’s Advanced Concepts team after a three-year tenure at the Swiss federal institute of technology. The move, announced on October 3, 2026, puts one of Switzerland’s most prominent space scientists inside a company pursuing large-scale commercial space infrastructure.

Zurbuchen joined ETH Zurich Space in 2023 as Professor of Space Science and Technology. His new team works on “new concepts and systems to advance a sustainable future for living and working in space”, according to the university’s announcement. The assignment gives him a direct role in shaping technologies that could influence future spacecraft, orbital services and human activity beyond Earth.

The appointment also extends an international career that has linked Swiss research with US space policy. Zurbuchen served as NASA’s Chief Scientist from 2016 to 2022 before returning to academia. At ETH Zurich, he and his colleagues launched projects intended to strengthen space education and research. His departure comes as that programme enters its next phase, with the university now responsible for preserving its momentum without its most visible figure.

Switzerland has built a space profile that reaches well beyond its size, and Zurbuchen’s appointment reflects that international standing. Swiss universities, research institutes and industrial companies contribute to European and global space programmes through specialised engineering, instruments and scientific expertise. ETH Zurich has become an important part of that network, combining advanced research with training for the next generation of space professionals.

Zurbuchen’s own career illustrates how those connections operate. Born in Switzerland, he moved between academic research, NASA leadership and university building. His return to ETH Zurich gave the institution a senior figure with experience of managing ambitious programmes inside the world’s best-known civil space agency. His move to Blue Origin now carries Swiss expertise into one of the private sector’s most closely watched space companies.

The details of Switzerland’s contribution are often found in components and research partnerships rather than launch headlines. That work includes precision engineering, scientific payloads and technologies designed for harsh environments. Zurbuchen’s next position gives those capabilities another international platform, while also raising the visibility of Swiss science in the commercial space race.

ETH Zurich had three years to establish a durable space programme under Zurbuchen’s leadership, and the university says that foundation is now in place. Zurbuchen described the projects launched during his tenure as a lasting basis for space education and research. He also sought to reassure colleagues about the transition, saying, “ETH Zurich Space is in the best of hands.”

The statement places responsibility on the teams and structures created since 2023. ETH Zurich will need to maintain research partnerships, attract talent and keep its space projects visible to students, funders and industry. The institution has not announced a successor in the material available for this report, so the shape of its next leadership phase remains open.

The departure also tests the balance between institutional strength and individual reputation. Zurbuchen brought the authority of a former NASA Chief Scientist to Zurich, helping connect Swiss researchers with international debates about exploration and technology. ETH Zurich’s challenge now involves turning that recognition into a programme that can continue to grow under new leadership. The university’s existing projects and teams will determine how much of the momentum survives the change at the top.