André Kuipers
| André Kuipers | |
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André Kuipers in 2013
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| ESA astronaut | |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Status | Inactive |
| Born |
5 October 1958 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
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Other occupation
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Physician |
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Time in space
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First mission: 11 days Second mission: 192 days Total: 203 days |
| Selection | 1998 ESA Group |
| Missions | Soyuz TMA-4/TMA-3, Soyuz TMA-03M (Expedition 30/31) |
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Mission insignia
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André Kuipers (Dutch: [ˈɑndreː ˈkœy̯pərs]; born 5 October 1958) is a Dutch physician and ESA astronaut. He became the second Dutch citizen, third Dutch-born and fifthDutch-speaking astronaut upon launch of Soyuz TMA-4 on 19 April 2004. Kuipers returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-3 11 days later.
Kuipers is the first Dutch astronaut to return to space. On 5 August 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 21 December 2011 and returned to Earth on 1 July 2012.
André Kuipers was born on 5 October 1958 in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He graduated from high school in Amsterdam in 1977, and received a medical degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1987. He is married and has three daughters and a son.
When interviewed about his youth, Kuipers stated that he dreamed of becoming an astronaut ever since he was a teenager. His dreams became reality when he was selected to the European Astronaut Corps in 1998.
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 later part of his six-month mission. On 21 December 2011, Kuipers was launched for his second spaceflight PromISSe on Expedition 30 and Expedition 31. He returned to Earth on 1 July 2012.
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Wikipedia