Ulrich Walter
Germany- Ulrich Walter: German Scientist and Astronaut
- Research and Career
- Astronaut Selection and Training
- Space Mission
- Post-NASA Career
- Publications and Media Presence
- Personal Life
Ulrich Walter: German Scientist and Astronaut
Early Life and EducationUlrich Walter, a German scientist and the fifth astronaut from Germany, was born in 1954. After graduating from high school in 1972, he served for two years in the Bundeswehr as an instructor in the army's air defense school.
Walter then studied experimental physics at the University of Cologne, earning a diploma in 1980. He continued his education, completing a doctorate in solid-state physics in 1985.
Research and Career
From 1985 to 1987, Walter worked at the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley.
Astronaut Selection and Training
In 1987, Walter was selected as one of five candidates for the Spacelab D-2 mission on the Space Shuttle. From 1988 to 1990, he underwent astronaut training at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), including over 1300 flights on the KC-135 aircraft for parabolic maneuvers that simulated temporary weightlessness.
Space Mission
Walter's sole spaceflight took place from April 26 to May 6, 1993, on the American Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-55). As a payload specialist, he conducted numerous experiments in natural sciences, physics, robotics, astronomy, and Earth's atmosphere. The mission lasted for 9 days, 23 hours, 39 minutes, and 59 seconds.
Post-NASA Career
After his spaceflight, Walter left the DLR astronaut corps in 1993. A year later, he headed the German Remote Sensing Data Centre at DLR. When German astronauts were transferred to the European Space Agency's astronaut corps, Walter resigned from DLR and joined IBM Germany.
Since 2003, Walter has been a full professor at the Technical University of Munich, where he leads the Department of Aerospace Technologies in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
Publications and Media Presence
Walter has authored a book about his spaceflight, "Around the Earth in 90 Minutes" (1997), as well as over 60 scientific papers. Additionally, he hosts the science popularization show "MAXQ - Hunger for Knowledge" on Bavarian television.
