André Kuipers
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| André Kuipers | |
 Andre Kuipers takes a break from training to pose for a photo at Johnson Space Center (JSC). |
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| ESA Astronaut | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Born | October 5, 1958 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Other occupation | Physician |
| Time in space | 10 days, 20 hours, 53 minutes |
| Selection | 1998 ESA Group |
| Missions | DELTA (i.e. Soyuz TMA-4 and Soyuz TMA-3) |
| Mission insignia |  |
André Kuipers (Pronunciation: 
[αndre kə:ypərs] (help·info)) (born in Amsterdam, October 5, 1958) is a Dutch physician and ESA astronaut. In April 2004, he made his first space flight to the International Space Station (ISS), becoming the second Dutch citizen in space, and the third astronaut born in the Netherlands.
Kuipers currently serves as the back-up of ESA astronaut Frank de Winne, who will fly a six-month mission in 2009.
On November 26, 2008, Maria van der Hoeven, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, announced that André Kuipers should be making his own six-month mission before the end of 2011.[1]
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[edit] Personal life and education
André Kuipers was born on October 5, 1958 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He graduated from high school in Amsterdam in 1977, and received a Medical Doctor degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1987. He is married and has three daughters and a son.[2]
When interviewed about his youth, Kuipers states that he had dreamed of becoming an astronaut ever since he was a teenager.[3] His dreams became reality when he was selected to the European Astronaut Corps in 1998.
[edit] Space flight
[edit] Launch and docking
Using the Soyuz TMA-4, mounted atop a Soyuz-FG rocket, Kuipers and his fellow cosmonauts Gennady Padalka (Russia) and Michael Fincke (USA) rocketed towards the ISS in the early morning of April 19, 2004. The spacecraft flawlessly docked to the ISS two days later.
[edit] Experiments
As part of his so-called DELTA mission, Kuipers conducted 21 experiments[4] in orbit on a wide range of subjects: physiology, biology, microbiology, medicine, technological development, physics and Earth observation.[5] Maybe the best-known experiment involved plant growth: Seeds in Space. Kuipers cooperated with primary school children in the Netherlands to compare results of plant growth from orbit with those from Earth.
[edit] Landing
Padalka and Fincke remained on board the ISS for six months, as the Expedition 9 crew.
Kuipers returned to Earth nearly eleven days after launch on April 30, joined by leaving ISS crew members Alexander Kaleri (Russia) and Michael Foale (USA), who thereby ended their six-month stay on board the ISS.
[edit] Future flight
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This article or section documents a scheduled or expected spaceflight. Details may change as the launch date approaches or more information becomes available. |
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Currently, Kuipers is assigned as the back-up of ESA astronaut Frank de Winne, who will be launched as a member of the Expedition 20 crew and will even serve as the commander of Expedition 21, during the latter part of his six-month mission. If the ISS crew schedule remains the same, De Winne will then become the first European to command an ISS crew.[6] Should De Winne somehow be unable to fly his mission, Kuipers will replace him.
Furthermore, Kuipers himself is expected to be selected to a long-duration (six-month) ISS mission, to be launched, presumably, in 2011. The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Maria van der Hoeven pushed for a mission in 2011 in a speech on November 26, 2008. She also said she would support the ISS project with an extra "few" million euros.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b 'André Kuipers uiterlijk in 2011 de ruimte in' (Dutch). Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
- ^ André Kuipers. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
- ^ De droom wordt werkelijkheid (Dutch). Published April 15, 2004, prior to his first space flight. Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
- ^ List of Experiments. Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
- ^ Dutch ESA astronaut goes to ISS with hefty package of scientific experiments. Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
- ^ New ISS crews: First European to become ISS Commander and next European long-term flight. Retrieved on 2008-11-26.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: André Kuipers |
