| André Kuipers | |
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André Kuipers takes a break from training to pose for a photo at Johnson Space Center (JSC). |
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| ESA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Status | Active |
| Born | October 5, 1958 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Other occupation | Physician |
| Time in space | Currently in space |
| Selection | 1998 ESA Group |
| Missions | DELTA (i.e. Soyuz TMA-4 and Soyuz TMA-3), Soyuz TMA-03M, Expedition 30 |
| Mission insignia | |
André Kuipers (Dutch: [ˈɑndreɪ ˈkœʏpərs] ( listen)) (born in Amsterdam, October 5, 1958) is a Dutch physician and ESA astronaut. He officially became the second Dutch, third Dutch-born and fifth Dutch Speaking astronaut upon launch of Soyuz TMA-4 on April 19, 2004. Kuipers returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-3 11 days later.
Kuipers is the first Dutch astronaut to return to space. On August 5, 2009, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Maria van der Hoeven, announced Kuipers was selected as an astronaut for International Space Station (ISS) Expeditions 30 and 31. He was launched to space on December 21, 2011 and is scheduled to return to Earth by June 2012.[1]
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André Kuipers was born on October 5, 1958 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He graduated from high school in Amsterdam in 1977, and received a physician 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 stated that he 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.
André Kuipers has flown two space missions: first the DELTA mission in 2004. In May 2009, he served as the backup of Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne, who later became the Expedition 21 commander, during the latter part of his six-month mission. On December 21, 2011, Kuipers was launched for his second spaceflight PromISSe on Expedition 30 and Expedition 31. He will return to earth in June 2012.
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.
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.
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.
On November 26, 2008, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Maria van der Hoeven pushed for a second, six-month mission of André Kuipers in 2011.[6] In the same speech, she said she would support the ISS project with an extra 'few' million euros.[6]
After a call with ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain on August 4, 2009, Maria van der Hoeven could finally confirm on August 5 that André Kuipers would be making a second space flight, starting in December 2011.[7] Kuipers was launched on December 21, 2011 by the Soyuz TMA-03M flight and remains in space for almost six months and return in May 2012. He is the first astronaut to have been selected for ISS Expeditions 30 and 31. He and his two fellow crewmembers arrived at the station on December 23.[8]
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