Germany's Most Successful Astronaut
Dr. Ulrich Walter is one of the few German astronauts and holds the Chair of Space Technology at the Technical University in Munich.
Our consultants would be happy to advise you on how best to tailor the narrative to your specific target audience.
Mr. Ulrich Walter, born in 1954, is a full professor at the Chair of Space Technology at the Technical Elite University of Munich. After studying physics at the University of Cologne, he spent a year at the US research lab Argonne National Laboratories, Chicago, followed by a year as a postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley.
From there, he was appointed to the German astronaut team in 1987 and trained for his Shuttle Mission D-2, from April 26 to May 6, 1993, at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, in Cologne-Porz and at NASA’s space center in Houston. In 1994, he became the project manager of the major project “German Satellite Data Archive” at the German Remote Sensing Data Center of the DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich.
In 1998, he moved to the IBM Development Lab in Böblingen as Program Manager, where he was responsible as project manager and lead consultant for the development and consulting of IBM software products.
Since March 2003, he has been leading the Chair of Space Technology at the Technical University of Munich, teaching and researching in the field of applied space technology and systems engineering. His focus areas are real-time robotics in space and service robotics, particularly robotic assistance for the elderly (Geriatronics).
He researches and teaches systems engineering, the empirical science of developing and optimizing complex products and processes in companies. As a trained project manager, he advises companies worldwide, especially in the areas of quality and risk management. Mr. Walter is the author of seven books, including the photo book about his shuttle mission “In 90 Minutes Around the Earth” and the three Spiegel non-fiction bestsellers “Im Schwarzen Loch ist der Teufel los” (2016), “Höllenritt durch Raum und Zeit” (2017), and “Eine andere Sicht auf die Welt” (2018).
He has published over 100 technical articles in international journals, is a publicist of space articles, and wrote weekly columns on Welt.de from 2013-16. From 1998 to 2003, he hosted the science program MaxQ on Bavarian Television, from 2011-12 the show “Unterwegs durchs All mit Ulrich Walter” and various special programs on the National Geographic Channel. In 2013, he hosted the show “Hubble Mission Universe” on ServusTV. Since September 2016, he has been hosting the pop.
He was elected nationwide as Professor of the Year 2008 in the category of Engineering Sciences and Computer Science.
Using concrete space exploration case studies from NASA, his professional experiences as a project manager at IBM, and analyses of successful and failed business projects worldwide, Prof. U. Walter provides experiential guidelines on how to identify, assess, and manage risks within your own company. Prof. Walter currently teaches project and risk management at the Technical University of Munich.
A business project stands and falls with the project team. How do you select it, and what can we learn from the Shuttle disaster of 2003 to avoid project risks?
Innovative developments have always been misjudged. Why? The lecture analyses, using illustrative examples, the misjudgements even experts are subject to. Based on concrete space exploration case studies from NASA, the current disruptive development in the space sector (New Space), analyses of successful and failed business projects worldwide, and his professional experiences as a project manager at IBM, Prof. Walter provides experiential guidelines on how we can better prepare for disruptive innovations.
What can we know about the future? Why has it always been misjudged, even by Nobel laureates and futurologists? The lecture analyses these misjudgements and the reasons for our fears of the future using illustrative examples. It shows what we can learn from them and how we can better prepare for the future.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change our world profoundly and in the long term. But what exactly is AI about? What is the current state of AI, and will it ever be on par with or even surpass human intelligence? Prof. Walter researches in the field of space robotics and geriatronics, robotic assistance for independent living in old age, using AI. As a member of the Bavarian Ethics Council, he advises the Bavarian state government on AI matters.
Request pricing and availability, without obligation. Our consultants will be happy to help you personally.
Our specialists are ready to match the right expertise to your goals.
Get the latest insights and trends from top experts delivered straight to your inbox every month.
