André Kuipers
A Dutch doctor who turned his childhood dream into reality, becoming Europe's longest-serving astronaut and a passionate advocate for space science.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Dutch astronaut·Birthday: October 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
André Kuipers' path to the stars was a deliberate fusion of science and determination. Trained as a physician, he specialized in aerospace medicine, systematically building the expertise that would catch the eye of the European Space Agency. His selection in 1999 launched him into a decade of intense training, from Star City in Russia to Houston, Texas. In 2004, his first mission to the International Space Station was a short but transformative scientific expedition. He returned in 2011 for a far more ambitious six-month stay, commanding complex experiments and becoming a social media sensation by sharing the sublime view of Earth with the world. Kuipers didn't just visit space; he used the experience to champion planetary stewardship and STEM education back home. With two missions totaling 204 days in orbit, he holds the record for the longest cumulative time in space by a Dutch astronaut, transitioning from explorer to a eloquent earthbound ambassador for the cosmic perspective.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
André was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Completed two long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS), spending a total of 204 days in space.
- Served as a flight engineer for Expedition 30 and commander of Expedition 31 during his 2011-2012 mission.
- Was the first Dutch astronaut to conduct two spacewalks.
- Holds the record for the longest spaceflight by a Dutch citizen.
Did You Know?
He took a stuffed animal, a mouse named "Muis", from the Dutch children's TV show "Sesamstraat" into space with him.
Kuipers is an avid scuba diver and served as an aquanaut in NASA's NEEMO 3 undersea mission.
He applied to be an astronaut three times before finally being selected by ESA.
During his 2011 mission, he celebrated Queen's Day in space by wearing orange and broadcasting a message to the Netherlands.
“From space, you see no borders, only a beautiful, fragile planet that we all share.”
