About the author

Volker Schmid

Volker Schmid heads the DLR team for Alexander Gerst's horizons mission. Schmid completed an apprenticeship as precision engineer. After working in industry for three years as a skilled metalworker in the field of injection moulding machinery manufacturing, he studied aerospace technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen. For his final-year thesis and thereafter, he was involved in system studies and software development, primarily focusing on the design of future space transportation vehicles in the systems analysis department at DLR in Cologne. In 2001, he completed a master’s degree in space systems engineering at Delft University of Technology as part of a postgraduate education programme and then joined the department for human spaceflight, ISS and exploration at the DLR Space Administration in Bonn.

There, he supervised the ISS sub-programmes of the European space transporter ATV and of the rescue vehicle CRV. In 2011, Schmid took over as head of the ISS specialist group and became a delegate in ESA’s European Utilisation Board, a committee for the scientific utilisation of the ISS and for ground support programmes.

As project manager, he is also responsible for the ISS experiment MagVector/MFX and MFX-2 conducted by DLR, and initiated the CIMON project, among others. Having already served on the ESA Blue Dot mission of German astronaut Alexander Gerst, Schmid is also responsible for horizons as DLR mission manager.

Posts from Volker Schmid

Space | 12. November 2018

Veränderte Choreografie für Gerst - zurück am 20. Dezember

Die Ursache des Sojus-Fehlstarts vom 11. Oktober ist gefunden. Ein fehlerhafter Sensor in einem der Booster der ersten Stufe war das Problem. Die neue ISS-Crew mit David Saint-Jacques, Anne McClain und Oleg Kononenko soll nun am 3. Dezember starten. Alexander Gerst und sein Team werden voraussichtlich am 20. Dezember zur Erde zurückkehren. read more

Space | 31. August 2018

Gratulation aus dem All zum 40-jährigen Raumflug-Jubiläum

Alexander Gerst ist der elfte Deutsche im All und fliegt zurzeit auf der ISS alle 90 Minuten einmal um unser Raumschiff Erde - immer beobachtet von uns, seinem Team des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt in Bonn. Vor 40 Jahren begann die Geschichte der Deutschen im All. Am 26. August 1978 brach Sigmund Jähn als erster Deutscher von Baikonur im Rahmen der Interkosmos-Flüge für neun Tage zur russischen Raumstation Saljut 6 auf. Am vergangenen Sonntag gab es in Jähns Heimatort Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz im Vogtland eine Ehrung zum Jubiläum: Alexander Gerst gratulierte ihm aus dem All. read more

Space | 31. July 2018

From horizon to horizon - Alexander Gerst phones home

At about 16:30 on 26 July 2018, the main street of Künzelsau, Alexander Gerst's hometown, resembled a festival: around 5000 people were on their feet. The street was packed and everyone listened attentively to the stage announcements, waiting for the call from the ISS. The event had been underway since 11:00, starting with a press conference in the Town Hall. read more

Space | 23. July 2018

Loss of power for the ISS MFX-2 experiment

Time is a precious commodity – especially in a unique laboratory complex such as the International Space Station (ISS). When something fails to go to plan, the result is additional stress and strain for the planners, researchers and everyone downstream who is involved in experimentation – everyone is keenly waiting for his/her timeslot. Last week it was DLR’s MFX-2 planetary simulator that was involved. read more

Space | 22. June 2018

The first two weeks of the horizons mission

The 'horizons' mission has been underway for almost two weeks. Alexander Gerst arrived safely at the ISS on 8 June 2018. He gave his first press conference from an altitude of 400 kilometres on 12 June and assisted in an extravehicular activity on 14 June. The 42-year-old German ESA astronaut is now working on scientific experiments in the European Columbus laboratory. The DLR 'horizons' Mission Manager, Volker Schmid, looks back on two eventful weeks. read more