Oliver Knickel

Assigned to the prime crew for the 105-day Mars500 study

Age: 28
Nationality: German
Resides in: Hamburg, Germany

Current employment:
Army engineer in the Bundeswehr (German National Defence Force).

Education:
March 2008-present – Part-time MBA in International Management at ESB Reutlingen.

2002-06 – University degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/ Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg. Majored in combustion engines, technical combustion and aerospace engineering.

Experience:
Joined the Bundeswehr (German National Defence Force) in July 1999 as a soldier in the 272nd anti-tank parachute battalion.

Between 1999 and 2002, Knickel completed Officer training with the paratroopers. This included an assignment from June to September 2002 with the 1st Infantry Battalion in Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of German contingent of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Since October 2007, Knickel is a lecturer in Mathematics, Electrical Engineering and Mechanics at the Technische Schule Landsysteme und Fachschule des Heeres für Technik.

Interests/hobbies:
Skiing, Wing Tsun (Chinese martial art), running, languages (Russian, French), travelling.