Ulf Merbold
The physicist who broke NASA's American monopoly, becoming the first non-US citizen on a Space Shuttle and a symbol of European space collaboration.
Born 1941 (age 85)·German astronaut and physicist·Birthday: June 20·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ulf Merbold entered history not as a test pilot, but as a payload specialist—a scientist in space. His selection by the European Space Agency for the first Spacelab mission in 1983 was a diplomatic and scientific milestone. When the Challenger shuttle launched, Merbold became the first person from outside the United States to fly on an American spacecraft, embodying the new era of international partnership. His calm, analytical demeanor was perfect for the marathon of experiments in the orbiting laboratory. He would fly twice more, on another shuttle mission and later to the Russian Mir station, making him the first German to experience both superpowers' space programs. Merbold's career transitioned from conducting microgravity research to helping shape ESA's human spaceflight strategy, always advocating for the irreplaceable value of the human mind in orbit.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ulf was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ulf Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Ulf's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 85 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first non-American astronaut to fly on a NASA Space Shuttle mission (STS-9/Spacelab-1) in 1983.
- Flew three times to space, logging 49 days across missions on the Space Shuttle and the Russian Mir space station.
- Served as a payload specialist on two dedicated Spacelab missions, conducting pioneering microgravity science.
- Was a member of the European astronaut corps selected by the European Space Agency in 1978.
Did You Know?
He is the first East German-born individual to travel to space (born in Greiz, Thuringia).
On his first mission, a computer failure caused a six-hour delay in landing, nearly resulting in a divert to an alternate site in Africa.
He later served as Head of the Astronaut Office for the European Space Agency.
He was part of the crew that conducted the first German-sponsored mission (Spacelab D-2) on the Space Shuttle in 1993.
“From space, I saw Earth—indescribably beautiful—with the terrifying fragility of an eggshell.”
