Astronaut André Kuipers: ‘The next Dutch astronaut should come from Delft, preferably a woman’

The SLS, the rocket that is set to take humans to the moon for the first time in over fifty years, has been rolled off the launch pad again for repairs. The astronauts – and all space enthusiasts – will therefore have to be patient for a little longer, at least until April. We ask astronaut André Kuipers about the how and why of this mission.

How surprising is this delay?

André Kuipers: “So much money and time has been invested in this, it cannot fail. Even if a small detail is not right, you postpone it, especially because it is a crewed mission. We’re not taking any risks. So I’m not surprised at all. What does surprise me a little is that they are having some of the same problems as with the first SLS, the uncrewed one two years ago. That one also had too much leakage from the fuel lines. And there were also problems with communication with the ground teams, as well as with a pressure valve on the cabin hatch. That immediately reminds me of Apollo 1, in which 3 astronauts lost their lives. During a test, something went wrong with the communication and, after a short circuit caused by the high oxygen pressure in the capsule, a very intense fire broke out. So this is not something you can just ignore; it really needs to be investigated thoroughly.”

The moon seems to be back on the map as the destination for all kinds of missions. What are we looking for there?

“On the one hand, prestige. China is going to the moon in 2030, so America has to be able to do it too. They are not doing it alone; Canada, Japan, Europe and the Emirates have joined the American Artemis plan. There are also many uncrewed plans, from countries as well as commercial companies. It is going to get busy on the moon.

Prestige is not the only reason: not much research has been done on the moon itself. Of the twelve people who have walked on the moon, only one was a scientist. More research is needed, especially around the South Pole, where water has been found in rock. Water is extremely important: for drinking, producing oxygen to breathe, making fuel, building things.

The moon is very interesting to astronomers as a location for scientific research. The far side is ‘radio quiet’: you are not bothered by radio waves from Earth. That is why it would be fantastic to build a radio telescope there and do very good radio astronomy.

‘The moon is a more hostile place for humans than Mars’

The moon is a more hostile place for humans than Mars. Moon dust, for example, is very sharp because it has not been worn down by water or wind. It is a bit sticky, aggressive, bad for your eyes and lungs, and equipment cannot withstand it very well either. There are enormous temperature differences on the moon: two weeks in the bright sun, then two weeks in the extreme cold and darkness. These are major challenges, which makes it a good test location for further missions. If something works well on the moon, it will also work on Mars. But if it goes wrong, you are a lot closer to Earth.

And finally, another reason to return to the moon: mineral extraction. It may still be science fiction, but who knows, we may be able to mine interesting materials for local use or for Earth.”

Plans for a permanent base

The goal of the Artemis missions is to build a space base for missions further into the solar system. There are plans for a permanent base on the moon and a space station orbiting the moon. A kind of ‘lunar gateway’ from which astronauts can commute back and forth, investigate lunar soil and conduct experiments in microgravity. These experiments are currently being carried out in the International Space Station (ISS), but that is coming to an end.

Will the closure of the ISS reduce the opportunity to go into space?

“Four parties have serious plans for a new commercial space station around the Earth. I don’t expect all four to succeed, but there will be a successor. The company Axiom, for example, is building a laboratory and space hotel, for which they first want to connect modules to the ISS. Ultimately, it should become an independently operating station with its own energy supply and communications. The ISS may continue to operate beyond 2030 to make this possible. Other companies involved are Blue Origin, Vast and Voyagerspace/Airbus. If you are not a professional astronaut but have a lot of money, you will be able to buy your own ticket in the future.”

Do Dutch students have a better chance of going into space with the Artemis project?

“Yes, Europe is participating, so at some point there will also be Europeans on the moon, including Dutch people. With the latest spacecraft, the Crew Dragon, more people can now travel to the ISS than with the Soyuz. There are more companies active, and many more opportunities for Dutch students to work in space travel and eventually actually go into space.

It will take a while, but the person to set foot on the moon is already walking around somewhere. Somewhere at school or at university. Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut, was a nuclear physicist who had studied in Groningen, the second was a doctor who had studied in Amsterdam, the third Dutch astronaut should be an engineer from Delft. And statistically, preferably a woman.”

With the rise of AI and robotics, does human spaceflight still have a future?

“We already make extensive use of robots and AI in space travel; Mars is full of robot rovers. AI and robots are very important and will take over a lot, especially dangerous and routine work. For example, the Hera spacecraft has to navigate through the asteroid belt itself and take photos of two asteroids, and it uses AI to do this. Controlling the spacecraft remotely is very difficult because the signal takes too long to travel.

But for certain things, you need people: unexpected situations, repairs. And there’s something else at play: ultimately, people want to go into space themselves. You can send robots on holiday or to the top of a mountain, but you want to experience it yourself. The future of space travel is a collaboration between humans and machines.”