Astrophysicist Unveils Secrets of the Universe for STN Readers

Swiss-American astrophysicist Thomas Zurbuchen was in Ann Arbor this week to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of Michigan. Between his many appearances, Zurbuchen took time to sit down with the Sun Times News for an exclusive interview and share some fascinating things about our universe.

Thomas Zurbuchen, a Swiss-American astrophysicist and influential figure in space exploration, has made significant contributions in various roles, including as NASA's Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate from 2016 to 2022. Educated at the University of Bern, he moved to the U.S. after completing his PhD, joining the University of Michigan and later co-founding its Center for Entrepreneurship. Recognized for his work with numerous awards, Zurbuchen's leadership in major NASA missions and his expertise in complex scientific projects have established him as a prominent voice in the field.

STN: Can you convey the universe's enormity in layperson’s terms?

Zurbuchen: At the beginning of the last millennium, people thought the universe was only as big as Mars. Now, we know it's vastly larger. Our sun and planets are part of the Milky Way, which has about 400 billion stars. On a clear night, you might see 6,000 stars with your eyes, all from our Milky Way. A century ago, we thought there was only one galaxy. Now, we know there are one to five galaxies in the universe for each star in the Milky Way. To grasp the enormity of that, imagine holding a grain of sand at arm's length, covering a tiny part of the sky. Behind that minuscule area are about 6,000 galaxies in a straight line leading all the way to the universe's beginning. Now, move that grain of sand ever so slightly so that it is next to where it just was. It is covering another 6,000 galaxies. Continue doing that in your field of vision in front of you, behind you, above you, and beneath you until it is all filled up by a grain of sand at arm’s length. Imagine that. Each grain represents 6,000 galaxies stretching to the end of the universe. There may be 2 trillion galaxies in total. Some of the light we're now observing with the James Webb Space Telescope has been traveling almost the entire age of the universe to reach us. It's enormously more extensive than what was once thought to be confined within the size of Mars.

(L-R) Thomas Zurbuchen, STN Editor Doug Marrin, and STN Owner Chuck Colby. Photo by Michele Anliker.

STN: Can you explain, in everyday terms, the significance and complexity of the James Webb Space Telescope?

Zurbuchen: We first need to consider what James Webb is observing. It's imaging the infrared universe. Why infrared? Because all the oldest things in the universe are infrared. As the universe expands, the light from the formation of galaxies shifts into the infrared range. So, the telescope must be massive to detect these faint heat signatures. It's the largest ever deployed in space, at 21 feet across. It doesn't fit in a rocket, so it had to be folded. It also needs to be very cold so its own heat doesn't overwhelm the faint signals from deep space. It's shielded with five big foils, the area of a tennis court. It deployed like a transformer in space, unfolding into this massive telescope to image the oldest light in the universe. It’s this technology that makes James Webb unique.

STN: At NASA, you were the longest-running Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. Tell us about that.

Zurbuchen: The real question is, “Why did I get the job?” It had everything to do with the University of Michigan. I started building space instruments, and my teams were excellent. But another thing I learned here, especially during the 2005-2007 automotive crisis in Michigan, was the importance of the university doing more for the community. So, I helped start the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan. Because of my science and entrepreneurship, NASA hired me. We needed someone who could work with private companies like SpaceX. The first mission I launched was GOES-16, which provides much of the weather forecast for this region. We did a lot of very innovative new things, like landing on Mars twice during COVID with Perseverance. And, of course, the James Webb Space Telescope is the biggest, most complex space mission ever conceived by humans.

NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen is interviewed by Katy Haswell on NASA television as he and the launch team monitor the countdown of the launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Dec. 25, 2021. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STN: Born in Heiligenschwendi, Switzerland, you pursued higher education in physics against your parents' wishes. What motivated you to persevere in your studies?

Zurbuchen: Growing up with my parents, I think I had a specific set of values that they stood for, including the value of hard work, respect for everybody, and understanding that nature is both beautiful and essential. And, you know, the value of friends and family, which are like a very close-knit community. The challenge I had was growing up in a strict Mennonite community. No T.V.s, no movie theaters, couldn't play with people outside or play sports. I went to public schools, which I was really excited about, and that's how I got the ticket to do what I did. I studied at the university, the first in my family to do so. Eventually, I had to confront my beliefs – it's hard to believe in a universe created in seven 24-hour days and accept that it is 13.8 billion years old. Many things are good in the Bible, but if you interpret the Bible as a science book, you will clash with science. This clash with science led to me being kicked out of my community. It was a lonely life, losing all my friends and family in one day. But it made me independent and gave me the tools to endure hard times.

STN: What do you always find exciting when discussing the universe and space?

Zurbuchen: What's so exciting to me is how much we're learning now. Just six years ago, we realized that for each star, on average, there's at least one planet. Now we know that every star in our galaxy, and likely every star in other galaxies, has at least one planet. This means an unimaginable number of Earth-like planets across the galaxy and other galaxies. This was once thought rare. What we're learning today is an avalanche of knowledge about the universe's size, its makeup, and potential life within it. That's endlessly fascinating to me.

Zurbuchen (top image) and associates present U.S. President Joe Biden with the first full-color image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the highest-resolution image of the infrared universe in history, July 11, 2022. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STN: So, where is space exploration headed, especially with the involvement of commercial entities like SpaceX?

Zurbuchen: We're in an amazing time in science, partly because of new commercial companies. In my time at NASA, launch costs dropped by about 30% in many areas, thanks to these companies. We can now use these rockets to observe our Earth, which is the most beautiful planet we've observed. We want to learn about our Earth, climate, and natural and human-made catastrophes. In the next few years, we plan to bring humans back to the moon and Mars for the first time. We hope to make this a decade-long step forward for humans, including international participation and commercial players, not just government bodies. We aim to return to the moon and use those technologies to reach Mars with humans, a place we've never been. This is far beyond what we've achieved so far.

STN: Are we talking about colonization here, like on Mars or the Moon?

Zurbuchen: There are certainly people discussing colonization, but the way I see it, in the next 50 years or so, it's more like how we view the Antarctic. We don't think of colonizing Antarctica; we have research labs there, and amazing research happens. We also have tourism in Antarctica. So, in the next 30-50 years, I see that happening on Mars. It's a place of science and exploration. Mars was not always a desert; it was full of water 3 billion years ago when life emerged on Earth. So, is there life or extinct life on Mars today? That's a question that really excites me.

(L-R) Zurbuchen, American solar astrophysicist Eugene Parker, and CEO for United Launch Alliance Tory Bruno in front of the ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket with NASA's Parker Solar onboard, humanity’s first-ever mission into a part of the Sun’s atmosphere. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STN: What advice would you give students and kids excited about space and the universe?

Zurbuchen: The opportunities in the space industry are incredibly high, much higher than ever before, even compared to the Apollo program. Globally, we're spending about $500 billion this year in space, which is expected to double in ten years. This growth is due to commercial ventures, exploration objectives, and military interests. Space is also part of national security. There's never been a better time to jump into this field. The possibilities now are mind-boggling compared to even 10-15 years ago.

STN: What are your thoughts on aliens and UFOs?

Zurbuchen: The question of finding life elsewhere is progressing rapidly. For example, we now know there was water on Mars and moons like Europa and Enceladus, and we've found organic materials in every comet we've observed, something unknown 10-15 years ago. As for intelligent life already being here, as indicated by UFOs, I haven't seen any unequivocal evidence of this in my time at NASA. However, we should continue to investigate these unexplained phenomena scientifically. Before I left NASA, we established a commission to study UFO observations because science should address all questions, even uncomfortable ones.

STN: You mentioned that you believe there's almost certainly life elsewhere. Can you elaborate?

Zurbuchen: When we don't know something in science, we make educated guesses. I would bet my car that there's life elsewhere because it seems almost unavoidable. But as a scientist, I have to say we don't know for sure yet. The trajectory of our discoveries makes it hard to believe we're the only place with life. About 20% of all planets in our galaxy are rocky and in a similar temperature range as Earth. If we're the only place with life, that would be incredibly unique, as every time we explore, we find things similar to us. I'm very excited about the potential of finding biological life within the next ten years.

The Webb telescope is crucial in this exploration. Intended initially to observe old galaxies, it's now used to study planets within our galaxy. Missions like Europa Clipper and Dragonfly to Titan, along with Mars sample returns in the next decade, are all steps towards potentially proving the existence of life elsewhere.

STN: What everyday technologies might people not realize originated from the space program?

Zurbuchen: If you look at your smartphone, many of the top technologies there, including some chips, came from NASA due to the enormous investments in computational technology. Solar cells are another example. Initially used to power NASA spacecraft, they are now a crucial part of the green energy revolution worldwide. Communication technologies have also been transformed by space exploration. For instance, space-based technology makes watching international sports events like the Olympics possible. The majority of our communication methods have been massively changed by space technology. Additionally, the way maps work today and the GPS industry, though not directly from NASA but from the Department of Defense, is a space-derived technology. It's hard to find sectors in the industry today that are not touched by space.

About: Zurbuchen, a Swiss-American astrophysicist, has been a prominent figure in space exploration and science administration. Born in Heiligenschwendi, Switzerland, Zurbuchen's journey in academia and space science began against his family's wishes. He pursued physics at the University of Bern and completed his PhD in 1996, specializing in the dynamics of minor ions in the interplanetary medium.

Zurbuchen's career trajectory took a significant turn when he moved to the United States shortly after his doctorate. He rose from a research associate to a professor at the University of Michigan, contributing to solar and heliospheric physics, experimental space research, and space systems. His tenure at the university was marked by a keen interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, leading him to co-found the Center for Entrepreneurship.

His notable achievements include leadership roles in NASA's scientific missions. As the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA from 2016 to 2022, Zurbuchen oversaw the launch of 37 missions and initiated another 54, including significant projects like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Perseverance Mars Landings. His expertise in managing complex scientific endeavors has made him a sought-after figure in public speaking and consultancy, sharing insights on leadership and innovation.

In 2023, Zurbuchen transitioned to an international speaker role, preparing to take up the directorship of ETH Zurich Space in August 2023. His contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous awards, including the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and several honorary doctorates from prestigious institutions.