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 (Programmatic Aspects) & Mission Representative ESA/ESTEC Maximilian Günther
Project Scientist (Guest Observers) ESA/ESAC Bruno Merín
Mission Operations Representative ESA/ESOC Marcus Kirsch

Prior roles

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)

Currently active roles

Title Country Institute Name
CHEOPS Principle Investigator CH Universität Bern Willy Benz
CHEOPS Project Manager CH Universität Bern Christopher Broeg
CHEOPS Science Team Chair CH Observatoire de l'Université de Genève David Ehrenreich
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

Prior roles

Title Country Institute Name
CHEOPS Science Team Chair CH ETH Zürich; University of Cambridge Didier Queloz
CHEOPS Mission Scientist CH Observatoire de l'Université de Genève David Ehrenreich
SOC Manager CH Observatoire de l'Université de Genève Matthias Beck
SOC Scientist CH Observatoire de l'Université de Genève Nicolas Billot

 

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) Centre for Physics of the University of Coimbra (CFisUC) Alexandre Correia
(ESA) ELTE Gothard Astrophysical Observatory Aliz Derekas
(ESA) SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research Billy Edwards
(ESA) National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Kosmas Gazeas
(ESA) Lund Observatory; Department of Physics, Lund University Judith Korth

 

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
S Leiden Observatory, Universiteit Leiden & Chalmers University Malcolm Fridlund 19 September 2022
I Dipartimento di Fisica - Università degli Studi di Torino Davide Gandolfi 19 September 2022
F 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
Project Scientist (ESA) ESA/ESTEC Maximilian Günther

 

Honorary Science Team Members

Title Country Institute Name
(Former CHEOPS Science Team Chair) CH ETH Zürich; University of Cambridge Didier Queloz

 

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 several people involved. Note however, that given the huge team size involved and the constant change of people 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)

 

Questions about CHEOPS or the GO Programme? Please email cheops-support at cosmos.esa.int and we will be happy to help!
This website was last updated on 12 March 2024.