NASA manager Felix Seidel Caprez becomes Managing Director of ETH Swiss GeoLab
After over 14 years at NASA, the former ETH student Felix Seidel Caprez is returning to ETH Zurich to take over the operational management of the new ETH Swiss GeoLab. Together with the two Directors, Thomas Zurbuchen and Verena Griess, he wants to turn the GeoLab into a world-leading centre for Earth observation – albeit with strong national roots.??
Over the coming years, ETH Zurich plans to set up ETH Swiss GeoLab, a national centre for Earth observation with global appeal and a physical presence in the Canton of Lucerne. The new centre will be led by the ETH Professors Thomas Zurbuchen and Verena Griess.
Now, another key member of the team is being announced: Felix Seidel is moving from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology to his alma mater, ETH, in order to take over the operational management of the GeoLab as its Managing Director.
“The aim is for the GeoLab to use data from space, from the air and from the ground, as well as AI-driven analysis methods, to address specific societal challenges. For me, this is a unique opportunity to apply my knowledge in the service of my home country and build structures that will benefit research, the economy, and society in Switzerland in the long term,” says Seidel, who was born in Zurich.
“With Felix Seidel, the operational management of the GeoLab is being taken over by a proven expert in the field of Earth observation and an experienced and well-connected manager. We look forward to setting up the GeoLab with him,” says Zurbuchen.
Twenty years’ experience in Earth observation
Potential research topics for the GeoLab range from the early detection of natural disasters, such as landslides, flooding or wildfires, to forecasts of agricultural yields to help farmers with their planning.
Seidel is well acquainted with these topics, having spent over two decades exploring how space-based technologies can be used to understand changes in the environment.
After studying Earth and Climate Sciences at ETH and completing a doctoral thesis at the Remote Sensing Laboratory of the University of Zurich, Seidel led Switzerland’s National Point of Contact for Satellite Images for several years. “Even back then, I thought there ought to be something like the GeoLab in Switzerland,” recalls the former ETH student, who is also a co-founder of the ETH Circle network.
In this role, Seidel has advised the Swiss Federal Administration in relation to European Earth observation programmes such as Copernicus. “I’m familiar not only with Switzerland’s Earth observation ecosystem, but also with the international networks and institutions. For the GeoLab, I want to act as a link between these two worlds,” he says.
J?rg G. Bucherer-Foundation donates 100 million Swiss francs to ETH Zurich for Earth observation centre
ETH Swiss GeoLab was made possible by a generous donation from the J?rg G. Bucherer-Foundation, amounting to 100?million Swiss francs. The new center will have a physical presence in the canton of Lucerne in the future. The canton of Lucerne is contributing CHF 2.8 million to the infrastructure costs.
From Zurich to NASA and back
Seidel arrived at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology in 2011. The former ETH student’s work there included developing algorithms to determine the properties of the snow cover, such as brightness, impurities, and snow cover, using data from a spectrometer mounted on an aircraft. These properties are important for regional water supply. He later worked for various airborne and satellite missions.
In 2017, he moved to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he contributed to the scientific success of the TROPICS mission, among other things. The object of this mission was the observation of tropical weather systems using several small satellites. In 2019, Seidel returned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he most recently led the Earth Science research and analysis programme. He was also project manager for the development of an AI-driven early warning system for the quantification of wildfire risks.
“We attempted, for the first time, to measure the moisture content of vegetation from space and to use this to calculate wildfire risk” Seidel explains. This approach brought together satellite data, weather information and infrastructure maps into a digital twin that aims at predicting wildfire risk.
A bridge between research, practice and politics
The GeoLab is being set up in three phases. The current phase is the two-year start-up phase, in which the organisational foundations of the new centre will be laid and the focus areas defined in detail. In parallel, a suitable location will be sought in the Canton of Lucerne starting from 2027 onwards. This will be followed by a growth phase and, lastly, by the transition to full operation. GeoLab will have achieved its full size by 2030, with around 100 members of staff.
As Managing Director of the GeoLab, Seidel is now taking over the centre’s operational management. However, responsibility for its strategic orientation still lies with Verena Griess and Thomas Zurbuchen, who are supported by a steering committee. The members of this committee currently include the ETH professors Konrad Schindler and Benedikt Soja from D-BAUG, Marc Pollefeys from D-INFK and Roland Siegwart from D-MAVT.
Seidel sees his role as implementing the vision of a world-leading centre for Earth observation with strong national roots. “We want to create an active ecosystem that brings together researchers, industry partners, authorities and start-ups – all in the service of the Swiss public.”
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