Center for Space and Habitability (Bern)

Center for Space and Habitability (Bern)
Name	Center for Space and Habitability (Bern)
Native name	Zentrum für Raumfahrts- und Habitabilitätsforschung
Established	2008
Type	Research institute
Location	Bern, Switzerland
Affiliations	University of Bern

Center for Space and Habitability (Bern) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Bern focusing on planetary science, astrobiology, exoplanetology, and space instrumentation. Founded to bridge observational astronomy, planetary geology, atmospheric science, and life-detection studies, the center integrates expertise from diverse institutions across Europe and North America. It contributes to missions and laboratory programs that connect theoretical modeling, remote sensing, and experimental astrobiology.

History

The center was inaugurated in 2008 at the University of Bern building complex that hosts groups formerly associated with the Astronomy Department, University of Bern, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, and the Space Research and Planetary Sciences Division. Early collaborations linked researchers with the European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Swiss Space Office. Founding activities included participation in projects related to the Mars Express mission, the Rosetta mission, and preparatory studies for ExoMars. Over time, the center expanded through affiliations with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the Southwest Research Institute, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the European Southern Observatory. Its personnel have engaged in international conferences such as AGU Fall Meeting, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting, and Goldschmidt Conference.

Mission and Research Focus

The center’s mission emphasizes planetary habitability, biosignature detection, and the physical and chemical evolution of planetary bodies. Research themes connect work on Earth observation analog studies, comparative planetology involving Mars, Venus, Titan, and exoplanets discovered by Kepler space telescope and TESS. Scientific goals include interpreting data from missions like James Webb Space Telescope, CHEOPS, and PLATO, modeling atmospheres influenced by stellar types such as M-dwarf stars and Sun-like stars (G-type), and assessing prebiotic chemistry informed by laboratories named after techniques developed at institutes like the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. The center frames habitability in contexts arising from studies at the Swiss National Science Foundation, European Research Council, and collaborative initiatives tied to CERN instrumentation expertise.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Administratively, the center is organized under the Faculty of Science, University of Bern and collaborates with the Philosophical Faculty, University of Bern for interdisciplinary programs. Leadership has included principal investigators with ties to the Swiss Academy of Sciences, recipients of grants from the European Research Council, and awardees of honors from entities such as the Royal Astronomical Society and American Geophysical Union. The governance structure comprises a directorate, scientific board, and advisory panels including representatives from ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, Université de Genève, University of Lausanne, Paul Scherrer Institute, and industry partners like RUAG Space. Postdoctoral and doctoral training connects to graduate schools such as the Graduate School for Science and Technology, University of Bern and international networks including Europlanet.

Research Programs and Projects

Programs span observational campaigns, laboratory experiments, and theoretical modeling. Key project involvements include instrument contributions to ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, payload studies for BepiColombo, and data analysis for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter datasets. Exoplanet studies relate to follow-up on HARPS and ESPRESSO discoveries and photometric surveys from CoRoT (satellite), while astrobiology experiments simulate environments following protocols from NASA Astrobiology Institute partners and laboratories associated with Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The center supports projects on biosignature detection strategies informed by research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Smithsonian Institution, and Natural History Museum, London. Modeling efforts incorporate frameworks developed at LMD (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique), University of Cambridge, and Princeton University climate groups.

Facilities and Instrumentation

Facilities include clean laboratories for organic geochemistry, a planetary simulation chamber comparable to those at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, spectroscopy suites used in parallel with instruments at ESO La Silla Observatory and ALMA, and access to computing clusters linked to Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). Instrument development has been performed in collaboration with Open University (UK) engineers and instrument teams from Imperial College London and University College London. The center manages electron microscopy facilities allied to the Naturhistorisches Museum Bern collections and coordinates fieldwork logistics for sites like the Atacama Desert, Iceland, and Antarctica for analog studies.

Education and Outreach

Educational activities include graduate courses integrated with the Institute of Astronomy, University of Bern, doctoral supervision in joint programs with ETH Zurich and University of Geneva, and summer schools modeled after COSPAR workshops. Outreach initiatives partner with the Bern Planetarium, the Museum of Communication (Bern), and national programs supported by the Swiss Academy for Engineering Sciences. Public lectures and citizen-science projects have been held in collaboration with European Southern Observatory, NASA public engagement teams, and media outlets such as the BBC and Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. The center participates in curriculum development with the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The center maintains partnerships with academic institutions including ETH Zurich, Université de Genève, University of Bern, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, Max Planck Society, CNRS, DLR, Italian Space Agency, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, LEOVI, and corporate partners like Airbus Defence and Space. International mission collaborations involve ESA, NASA, JAXA, and national agencies such as Swiss Space Office and UK Space Agency. Multilateral research networks include Europlanet, ESF, and projects funded through Horizon 2020 and the European Research Council.

Category:Research institutes in Switzerland Category:Astrobiology research organizations