In 1985 graduated from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology; degreed engineer physicist; doctoral dissertation, 1991; since 1996 he works as the professor of physics in the Norwegian university of the agriculture; in 1990 he was one of five Norwegian candidates for the European astronaut group; but could not pass the first stage of the selection of the European Commission; was noticed on the shortlist of 25 candidate applicants by the European Astronauts Board Selection (EASB), but was not selected in 1992 and again 1998.