Meet the Team - CHEOPS
Meet the Team
CHEOPS may be a small mission, but in ESA's context "small" still means uniting way over 100 people from more than 40 institutes!
ESA CHEOPS Project Office
Currently active roles
| Title | Institute | Name |
| Project Scientist & Mission Representative | ESA/ESTEC | Maximilian Günther |
| Mission Operations Representative | ESA/ESOC | Richard Southworth |
Prior roles (during study, development, launch, and operations until early 2023)
| Title | Institute | Name |
| Project Manager | ESA/ESTEC | Nicola Rando |
| Project Scientist & Mission Representative | ESA/ESTEC | Kate Isaak |
| Payload Principal Engineer | ESA/ESTEC | Francesco Ratti |
| Platform Principal Engineer | ESA/ESTEC | Joel Asquier |
| System Principlal Engineer | ESA/ESTEC | Carlos Corral Van Damme |
| Mission Operations Representative | ESA/ESOC | Richard Southworth |
Consortium Leadership, Project Science Office (PSO), and Science Operations Centre (SOC)
| Title | Country | Institute | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEOPS Principle Investigator | CH | Universität Bern | Willy Benz |
| CHEOPS Project Manager | CH | Universität Bern | Christopher Broeg |
| CHEOPS Science Team Co-Chair | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | David Ehrenreich |
| CHEOPS Science Team Co-Chair | CH | ETH Zürich; University of Cambridge | Didier Queloz |
| CHEOPS Mission Scientist | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Monika Lendl |
| CHEOPS Instrument Scientist | CH | Universität Bern | Andrea Fortier |
| SOC Manager | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Nicolas Billot |
| SOC Scientist | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Alexis Heitzmann |
| SOC Software Engineer | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Anja Bekkelien |
| SOC Senior Consultant | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Matthias Beck |
Core Science Team
The core science team (CST) of the CHEOPS mission is composed of members of all consortium countries plus members elected by ESA. The current composition of the CST is given in the following table. (Alphabetical by country and last name.)
| Country | Institute | Name |
|---|---|---|
| A | Universität Wien | Manuel Güdel |
| A | Institut für Weltraumforschung | Luca Fossati |
| B | Université de Liège | Manu Stalport |
| B | University of Liege | Laetitia Delrez |
| CH | Universität Bern | Yann Alibert |
| CH | Universität Bern | Christopher Broeg |
| CH | Universität Bern | Christoph Mordasini |
| CH | Universität Bern | Andrea Fortier |
| CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Adrien Deline |
| CH | ETH Zürich; University of Cambridge | Didier Queloz (Co-Chair) |
| CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | David Ehrenreich (Co-Chair) |
| CH | Université de Genève | Damien Ségransan |
| ES | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias | Roi Alonso |
| ES | Centro de Astrobiología INTA-CSIC | David Barrado y Navascues |
| ES | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias | Eva Villaver |
| F | Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille | Sergio Hoyer |
| GER | DLR Institut für Planetenforschung | Kristine Lam |
| GER | DLR Institut für Planetenforschung | Szilard Csizmadia |
| GER | DLR Institut für Planetenforschung | Alexis M. S. Smith |
| HU | Konkoly Obszervatórium | Gyula Szabó |
| I | INAF Osservatorio di Padova | Valerio Nascimbeni |
| I | Università degli Studi di Padova | Giampaolo Piotto |
| I | INAF Osservatorio di Catania | Gaetano Scandariato |
| P | Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto | Olivier Demangeon |
| S | Stockholms Universitet | Alexis Brandeker |
| UK | University of St. Andrews | Andrew Collier Cameron |
| (ESA) | Institut de Physique du Globe | Sébastien Charnoz |
| (ESA) | Dipartimento di Fisica - Università degli Studi di Torino | Davide Gandolfi |
| (ESA) | Observatoire de Paris | Jacques Laskar |
| (ESA) | Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble | Xavier Bonfils |
| (ESA) | Leiden Observatory, Universiteit Leiden & Chalmers University | Malcolm Fridlund |
CHEOPS Science Team Associates
The CHEOPS Science Team Associate (CSTA) Members are members of the Science Team appointed for a limited duration. They have been selected following applications to a dedicated open call to the Community. (Alphabetical by country and last name.)
| Country | Institute | Name | Appointed on |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH | Université de Genève | Monika Lendl | 29 March 2017 |
| CH | Universität Bern | Brice-Olivier Demory | 29 March 2017 |
| CH | Universität Bern | Attila Simon | 29 March 2017 |
| CH | Université de Genève | Julia Venturini | 19 September 2022 |
| I | INAF Osservatorio di Padova | Luca Borsato | 19 September 2022 |
| I | INAF Osservatorio di Torino | Patricio Cubillos | 19 September 2022 |
| P | Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto | Susana Barros | 29 March 2017 |
| UK | Keele University | Pierre Maxted | 29 March 2017 |
| UK | University of St. Andrews | Tom Wilson | 19 September 2022 |
| (ESA) | Leiden Observatory, Universiteit Leiden & Chalmers University | Malcolm Fridlund | 19 September 2022 |
| (ESA) | Dipartimento di Fisica - Università degli Studi di Torino | Davide Gandolfi | 19 September 2022 |
| (ESA) | Observatoire de Paris | Jacques Laskar | 19 September 2022 |
Ex-officio Science Team Members
| Title | Country | Institute | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEOPS Project Manager | CH | Universität Bern | Christopher Broeg |
| CHEOPS Mission Scientist | CH | Observatoire de l'Université de Genève | Monika Lendl |
| CHEOPS Instrument Scientist | CH | Universität Bern | Andrea Fortier |
Board Members
(Alphabetical by country and last name.)
| Country | Institute | Name |
|---|---|---|
| A | Institut für Weltraumforschung, Graz | Baumjohann Wolfgang |
| A | Institut für Weltraumforschung, Graz | Helling Christiane |
| B | University of Liège | Gillon Michaël |
| B | University of Liège | Van Grootel Valérie |
| CH | Universität Bern | Benz Willy |
| CH | Universität Bern | Thomas Nicolas |
| CH | Observatory of the University of Geneva | Udry Stéphane |
| ES | The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias | Enric Pallé |
| ES | Institute for Space Sciences | Ignasi Ribas |
| F | Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Marseille | Deleuil Magali |
| F | Institut d'astrophysique de Paris | Lecavelier des Etangs Alain |
| GER | DLR Institute of Planetary Research | Erikson Anders |
| GER | DLR Institute of Planetary Research | Rauer Heike |
| HU | Admatis | Barczy Tamas |
| HU | Konkoly Observatory | Kiss Laszlo |
| I | Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania - INAF | Pagano Isabella |
| I | Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova - INAF | Ragazzoni Roberto |
| P | Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto | Santos Nuno |
| P | Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto | Sousa Sérgio |
| S | Lund Observatory | Davies Melvyn |
| S | Stockholm University, Stockholm | Olofsson Göran |
| UK | University of Warwick | Pollacco Don |
| UK | University of Cambridge | Nicholas Walton |
Scientists and Engineers involved in the Mission
Besides the formal science team, there is a large number of scientists and technical staff involved to build and prepare the mission. In the following we give a list of the people involved. Note however, that given the huge team size involved for such an endeavour, this list cannot be complete.
Austria: Harald Ottacher (IWF), Franz Kerschbaum (UVIE), Armin Luntzer (UVIE), Marko Mecina (UVIE), Roland Ottensamer (UVIE), Christian Reimers (UVIE)
Belgium: Etienne Renotte (previously at CSL), Jean-Yves Plesseria (CSL), Michaël Gillon (ULiege)
France: Jean-Charles Meunier (LAM), Pascal Guterman (LAM-INSU), Sergio Hoyer (LAM)
Germany: Rainer Berlin (DLR), Maximilian Buder (DLR), Ute Grote (DLR), Mathias Lieder (DLR), Harald Michaelis (DLR), Emanuel Kopp (DLR), Gisbert Peter (DLR), Rolf Struikmans (DLR), Mathias Tschentscher (DLR), Bernd Ulmer (DLR/IBU), Holger Venus (DLR), Ingo Walter (DLR), Karsten Westerdorff (DLR), David Wolter (DLR)
Hungary: Tamas Barczy (ADM), Peter Koczak (ADM), Zsolt Kovacs (ADM), Peter Szirovicza (ADM), Janos Szoke (ADM)
Italy: Maria Bergomi (INAF-OAPD), Federico Biondi (INAF-OAPD), Luca Borsato (UPD), Giovanni Bruno (INAF-OACT), Marco Dima (INAF-OAPD), Jacopo Farinato (INAF-OAPD), Davide Greggio (INAF-OAPD), Demetrio Magrin (INAF-OAPD), Luca Marafatto (INAF-OAPD), Francesco Marzari (UNIPD), Matteo Munari (UPD), Mario Salatti (ASI), Vikash Singh (INAF-OACT), Daniela Sicilia (UPD), Francesco Verrecchia (ASI-SSDC), Valentina Viotto (INAF-OAPD)
Portugal: Nuno Almeida (DEIM), Carlos Antonio (DEIM), Nuno Avila (DEIM), Marcos Bento (DEIM), Nuno Catarino (DEIM), Pedro Figueira (CAUP), Marco Montalto (CAUP)
Sweden: Hans-Gustav Florén (OSO)
Spain: Mariona Badenas (ICE, CSIC & IEEC), Juan Carlos Morales (ICE, CSIC & IEEC), Manuel Perger (ICE, CSIC & IEEC), Álvaro García-Piquer (ICE, CSIC & IEEC), Josep Colomé (ICE, CSIC & IEEC), Enrique Herrero (ICE, CSIC & IEEC), Lisa Nortmann (IAC), Pilar Montañes Rodriguez (IAC), María Morales-Calderón (CAB), Sebastià Barceló (CAB)
Switzerland: Mathias Beck (UGE), Anja Bekkelien (UGE), Martin-Diego Busch (UBE), Giordano Bruno (UBE), Virginie Cessa (UBE), Bruno Chazelas (UGE), Adrien Deline (UGE), Volker Gass (SSC-EPFL), Daniele Piazza (UBE), Martin Rieder (UBE), Reiner Rohlfs (UGE), Vincent Bourrier (UGE), David Futyan (UGE), Francois Wildi (UGE), Nicolas Billot (UGE)
United Kingdom: Rémon Annes (UCA), Dave Garton (ISIC), Eduardo Gonzales-Solares (UCA), Simon Hodgkin (UCA), Mike Irwin (UCA), Jim Lewis (UCA), Nicholas Walton (UCA), Richard West (UWW), Guy Rixon (UCA)
Previous Team Members
People come and go – there are many team members who helped make CHEOPS happen but who no longer work at the institute that is part of the CHEOPS consortium or who’s direct involvement with CHEOPS has ended. We are very grateful for their contribution! The following people have been involved in the mission:
Natalie Russ (DLR), Olivier Absil (ULg), Luigi Bedin (INAF-OAPD), Andrea Bonfanti (UPD), Aldo Bonomo (INAF-OAT), Frank Daerden (BIRA), Eduardo Hernandez Leon (UBE), Gyula Horvath (C3S), Anton Ivanov (SSC-EPFL), Annette Jäckel (UBE), Emmanuël Jehin (ULg), Antonino F. Lanza (INAF-OACT), Pierre Magain (ULg), Luca Malavolta (UPD), Luca Malvasio (UBE), Giuseppina Micela (INAF-OAPA), Emilio Molinari (INAF-TNG), Christian Muller (BUSOC), Anne Lemaître (FUNDP), Anne-Sophie Libert (FUNDP), Severin Oeschger (UBE), Sergio Ortolani (UPD), Elena Piccoli (UPD), Stefano Rossi (SSC-EPFL), Salvatore Scuderi (INAF-OACT), Alessandro Sozzetti (INAF-OATO), Salvatore Spinella (INAF-OACT), Jean Surdej (ULg), Kamen O. Todorov (ETHZ)