New funding program: Advanced Physician Scientists Grants

In 2019, Chloé Carrière co-founded Asclepios, Europe’s first student-led analog space mission. The first crew went into isolation in July 2021. In July 2025, the fifth edition spent 16 days underground at the Sasso San Gottardo fortress in Ticino – a mission that the aerospace engineer now accompanies as a mentor. As “Galactic Chloé”, she reaches a broad audience today with space topics on social media, in her own radio column and through documentary films. In an interview with SATW, she explains what students learn from a simulated moon mission, why she believes Swiss citizens should have a say in space policy, why she had to reshape her own dream of walking on the moon and how to keep Switzerland’s young space industry in the country.

According to MeteoSwiss, the summer of 2026 was the hottest since records began in 1864. At the same time, there had already been very little rainfall during the winter and spring, leading to extreme drought. The stable high-pressure weather also brought Switzerland a duration of sunshine well above the long-term average. These extreme weather events have far-reaching implications for society and the environment, and specifically for the energy supply. Christian Schaffner, Managing Director of the Energy Science Centre at ETH Zurich, provides an analysis for the SATW.

The Swiss Young Academy (SYA) gives early-career researchers a voice and provides a platform for inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration. Its recently published report, «Compassionate Science», explores how empathy and compassion shape research practice across different disciplines. The report also offers valuable insights from a healthcare perspective.