Master of science in engineering physics from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, 1981; doctorate in experimental particle physics from the University of Stockholm, 1987; honorary doctorate from the Umea University, Sweden (October 1999); hobbies: Sports, sailing, skiing, frisbee, traveling, games, reading; since 1996 NASA astronaut; he was awarded the Russian "Soyuz Return Commander" certificate, which qualifies him to command a three-person Soyuz capsule during its return from space, 1998; since May 2010 Head of Science and Application Division within the Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Exploration at ESTEC, Noordwijk.