The space shuttle made in Switzerland

A company led by Swiss engineer Pascal Jaussi is building a space shuttle by combining technologies from all over the world. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

Jaussi, an engineer and Swiss Air Force military pilot, founded the company Swiss Space Systems in 2013 in Payerne, canton Vaud. Through the firm, he is pursuing his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. The company’s goal is to make space accessible by developing, manufacturing and operating suborbital spaceplanes.

The SOAR (Sub-Orbital Re-Usable Aircraft) will be deployed in a first phase to put commercial satellites into orbit, with manned flights coming at a second stage.

To make the project commercially viable, Swiss Space Systems works by assembling existing components and the best proven technologies from different countries. Components and technologies from Russia, Europe, Asia and the United States are then assembled in Switzerland. The company uses Switzerland’s reputation for stability and respect for industrial secrecy to bring together technologies from countries which, for political reasons, would otherwise not trade with each other.