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André Kuipers
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Photo: NASA
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Andre
Kuipers was born on October 5, 1958 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 1977, he
graduated from Van der Waals Lyceum in Amsterdam and received a Medical Doctor
Degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1987. During his studies, Kuipers
worked in the Vestibular Department of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam
and was involved in different research activities on the equilibrium system.
From ’87 to ’88, he was an officer of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Medical
Corps. During this time, he studied accidents and incidents caused by spatial
disorientation of pilots flying high-performance aircraft. Later, he worked for
the Research and Development Department of the Netherlands Aerospace Medical
Center in Soesterberg where he was examining Space Adaptation Phenomena,
developing contact lenses for pilots and studying vestibular properties, blood
pressure and cerebral blood flow under high acceleration conditions in a human
centrifuge and in microgravity conditions on airplanes. Kuipers also conducted
medical examinations of Pilots and medical monitoring of individuals during
human centrifuge training, also giving lessons to pilots on physiological
aspects of flying. In 1991, Kuipers started to become involved in the
preparation, coordination, baseline data collection and ground control of
physiological experiments that were developed by the Eurpean Space Agency for
space missions and astronaut training. He was the Project Scientist for
Anthrorack, a human physiology experiment that was flown on the German D-2
Spacelab Mission in 1993, as well as two payloads concerned with lung and bone
physiology that flew on the Mir Space Station as part of the long duration
Euromir 95 Mission.
He continued with the development of the Torque Velocity Dynamometer (TVD) that had ist space mission in 1996 and the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System that is a device for muscle research aboard the Space Station. Kuipers also contributed to the development of an electronic muscle stimulator for astronauts.
In 1998, Andre Kuipers joined the European Astronaut Corps of ESA based in Cologne, Germany. He completed astronaut training and was actively involved in the design process and on-board operations development of the International Space Station. Kuipers also continued his work at the European Space Research and Technology Center to contribute to the Microgravity Payloads Division. He also continued to prepare and develop physiological studies to be carried out in space before starting ESA’s basic training program in 2002. During two Soyuz Flights to ISS, Kuipers served as Crew Interface Coordinator in the Russian Mission Control Center outside of Moscow. Later in 2002, he was assigned to his first Space Flight that took place in April 2004. Kuipers flew a short duration mission to the International Space Station called the DELTA Mission. During that flight, the ISS Crew and the Soyuz Vehicles docked with ISS were exchanged to continue manned operations of the complex. Also, Kuipers completed 21 experiments in the fields of human physiology, biology, technology and education. After returning to Earth, he performed nominal post-flight operations and ESA payload development tasks. He also provided ground support for upcoming ESA missions and became an Eurocom – the Crew Communicator at the Columbus Control Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
In 2005, Kuipers was a backup crewmember for the first Canadian Increment for which he completed ground training in USOS Operations and Russian Segment Procedures. Kuipers was Frank DeWinne’s Backup ISS Crewmember and completed Training on all elements of ISS Operation and Hardware including Columbus Operations, Japanese Training and ATV Operations as well as Payload and Experiment Training. During the long duration Flight of DeWinne, he served as Eurocom in the COL-CC talking to the Astronauts working inside the European Columbus ISS Laboratory.
In August 2009, he was assigned to be the prime European Crewmember for the Expedition 30/31 Mission to the International Space Station in 2011 and 2012. Kuipers started training for this Flight in late 2009 and completed training in Houston, Japan, Russia and Germany.
In total, Kuipers has logged 12 Days in space. He is married and has three daughters. Andre Kuipers enjoys flying, scuba diving, skiing and traveling.
His 2011/2012 ESA ISS Mission is designated PromISSe.
Follow Andre Kuipers on TWITTER!
He continued with the development of the Torque Velocity Dynamometer (TVD) that had ist space mission in 1996 and the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System that is a device for muscle research aboard the Space Station. Kuipers also contributed to the development of an electronic muscle stimulator for astronauts.
In 1998, Andre Kuipers joined the European Astronaut Corps of ESA based in Cologne, Germany. He completed astronaut training and was actively involved in the design process and on-board operations development of the International Space Station. Kuipers also continued his work at the European Space Research and Technology Center to contribute to the Microgravity Payloads Division. He also continued to prepare and develop physiological studies to be carried out in space before starting ESA’s basic training program in 2002. During two Soyuz Flights to ISS, Kuipers served as Crew Interface Coordinator in the Russian Mission Control Center outside of Moscow. Later in 2002, he was assigned to his first Space Flight that took place in April 2004. Kuipers flew a short duration mission to the International Space Station called the DELTA Mission. During that flight, the ISS Crew and the Soyuz Vehicles docked with ISS were exchanged to continue manned operations of the complex. Also, Kuipers completed 21 experiments in the fields of human physiology, biology, technology and education. After returning to Earth, he performed nominal post-flight operations and ESA payload development tasks. He also provided ground support for upcoming ESA missions and became an Eurocom – the Crew Communicator at the Columbus Control Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
In 2005, Kuipers was a backup crewmember for the first Canadian Increment for which he completed ground training in USOS Operations and Russian Segment Procedures. Kuipers was Frank DeWinne’s Backup ISS Crewmember and completed Training on all elements of ISS Operation and Hardware including Columbus Operations, Japanese Training and ATV Operations as well as Payload and Experiment Training. During the long duration Flight of DeWinne, he served as Eurocom in the COL-CC talking to the Astronauts working inside the European Columbus ISS Laboratory.
In August 2009, he was assigned to be the prime European Crewmember for the Expedition 30/31 Mission to the International Space Station in 2011 and 2012. Kuipers started training for this Flight in late 2009 and completed training in Houston, Japan, Russia and Germany.
In total, Kuipers has logged 12 Days in space. He is married and has three daughters. Andre Kuipers enjoys flying, scuba diving, skiing and traveling.
His 2011/2012 ESA ISS Mission is designated PromISSe.
Follow Andre Kuipers on TWITTER!
