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Wubbo Ockels | |
|---|---|
 NASA portrait of Ockels in 1981. | |
| Born | Wubbo Johannes Ockels (1946-03-28)28 March 1946 Almelo, Netherlands |
| Died | 18 May 2014(2014-05-18) (aged 68) Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Education | University of Groningen (MSc,PhD) |
| Occupation | Physicist |
| Spouse | Joos Swaving |
| Children | 2 |
| Space career | |
| ESA astronaut | |
Time in space | 7 days, 44 minutes |
| Selection | 1978 ESA Group |
| Missions | STS-61-A |
Mission insignia |  |
Wubbo Johannes Ockels (28 March 1946 – 18 May 2014) was a Dutchphysicist andastronaut with theEuropean Space Agency who, in 1985, became the first Dutch citizen in space when he flew onSTS-61-A as apayload specialist. He later became professor ofaerospace engineering atDelft University of Technology.
Ockels was born inAlmelo,Netherlands, but consideredGroningen to be his hometown. He obtained hisMSc degree inphysics andmathematics in 1973 and subsequently aPhD degree in the same subjects in 1978 from theUniversity of Groningen. His thesis was based on experimental work at the Nuclear-physics Accelerator Institute (KVI) in Groningen.
From 1973 to 1978, Ockels performed experimental investigations at the Nuclear Physics Accelerator Institute in Groningen. His work concerned thegamma-raydecay of nuclear systems directly after formation and the development of a data-handling system involving design of electronics and programming ofreal-time software. He also contributed to the design and construction of position-sensitive charged particle detectors. While at the K.V.I. Institute, Ockels supervised the practical work of first-year physics students at the University of Groningen.
In 1978, Ockels was selected by theEuropean Space Agency (ESA) as one of three Europeanpayload specialists to train for theSpacelab 1 mission. In May 1980, under the terms of an agreement between ESA andNASA, Ockels and Swiss astronautClaude Nicollier were selected to begin basic mission specialist training with the NASA astronaut candidates at NASA'sJohnson Space Center,Houston, Texas.
In September 1981 Ockels withdrew from training to focus on Spacelab, and did not become a NASA mission specialist.[1] He rejoined the Spacelab 1 crew for training as a back-up payload specialist to operate experiments. This mission of a reusable, scientific research facility built by the European Space Agency (ESA) took place aboard the Space Shuttle in November 1983. Spacelab 1 was a joint NASA/ESA mission. He was the first Dutch citizen astronaut, not the first Dutch-born astronaut, as he is preceded by the naturalized AmericanLodewijk van den Berg, who flew onSTS-51-B. Having served his role as back-up payload specialist for German astronautUlf Merbold, he took his place in Mission Control in Houston as the primary communicator between the astronauts working in Spacelab and the Mission Management Team in Houston.
Ockels flew as a payload specialist on the crew ofSTS-61A Challenger (30 October to 6 November 1985).STS-61A was the West German D-1 Spacelab mission. It was the first to carry eight crew members, (five Americans, two Germans and Ockels); the largest to fly in space; and was also the first in which payload activities were controlled from outside the United States: from the DLR control center in Germany. More than 75 scientific experiments were completed in the areas ofphysiological sciences,materials science,biology, andnavigation. At mission conclusion Ockels had traveled 2.5 million miles in 110 Earth orbits, and logged over 168 hours in space.
A smallplanetoid was named after Wubbo Ockels by theInternational Astronomical Union. The planetoid orbits the Sun betweenMars andJupiter. The object's full name is9496 Ockels.Ockels was a member of theAmerican Physical Society and theEuropean Physical Society. From 1999 to 2003, he was head of ESA's Office for Educational Projects Outreach Activities.
In 1992, Ockels was appointed part-time professor ofaerospace engineering (in particular, Aerospace for Sustainable Engineering and Technology) at Delft University of Technology, and promoted to full-time professor in September 2003. In this function, he oversaw theNuna projects. He also proposed the development of aSuperbus, a new method of high speed (250 km/hour)public transportation by road. The public transportation companyConnexxion was the first company to invest in the development of this Superbus.[2]
The LadderMill is the response to the challenge for exploiting the gigantic energy source contained in the airspace up to high altitudes of 10 km. The concept has been developed with the aim to convert wind energy at altitude in electricity on the ground in an environmental and cost effective manner.
While working at the university he assisted and advised theNuon Solar Team, asolar racer team consisting of students, which won the biennialWorld Solar Challenge four consecutive times from 2001 to 2007. Ockels was also the initiator of theSuperbus project. He also cofounded the sustainable engineering firm "The Green Canals" (De Groene Grachten).
In 2009, Ockels presented a talk arguing that the notion oftime is human-constructed as a result of our interpretation of the effects of gravity.[3]
Ockels was married, had two children and two grandchildren.
His sister was politicianMarjet Ockels.[4]
In August 2005, Ockels suffered a severeheart attack, which required his hospitalization. He recovered well and was able to resume his work at theDelft University of Technology.[5] On 29 May 2013 it was announced that Ockels had an aggressive form ofkidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) with ametastasis in hispleural cavity, and a life expectancy of one to two years.[6] He died from complications of cancer on 18 May 2014.[7]
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