IN MEMORIAM DAAN DE HOOP, GREAT ADVOCATE FOR DUTCH SPACE INDUSTRY (1945 – 2024)

Metslawier, August 1, 1945 – Delft, January 6, 2024 

NVR Honorary Member since 2005

On Saturday, January 6, 2024, Daan de Hoop passed away at the age of 78. With his departure, we lose a great advocate for the Dutch space industry. Daan will still be remembered by many people working in the aerospace field, both within the Netherlands, in Europe, and beyond. With a deep passion for the Dutch space sector, his extensive network, and always with a touch of humor, Daan achieved a lot.

Life and Career

Daan de Hoop was born on August 1, 1945, in the Frisian village of Metslawier. He studied Electrical Engineering at TU-Delft (then Technische Hogeschool Delft) and graduated in late 1972 from the Communication Systems department. On March 1, 1973, he joined the Netherlands Institute for Aircraft Development and Space Travel (NIVR, later merged into the Netherlands Space Office, NSO, in 2009), where he dedicated himself to space exploration until his retirement on March 1, 2007. In the early years, he was seconded twice from NIVR to contribute to the national projects ANS and IRAS. In the years 1973-74, he was seconded to the Philips Research Lab in Geldrop, where he held various positions related to testing the first Dutch satellite ANS and collaborated with Fokker Schiphol, ESA-ESTEC in Noordwijk, and NASA. In the years 1977-78, he was seconded to Fokker, where he was responsible for drafting the system specifications of the satellite IRAS. After that, Daan held various positions at NIVR. A significant part of his time (1980 – 2000) was spent leading the NIVR Space Technology (NRT) program, earning him the nickname ‘Mister NRT’ in the late ’80s. Additionally, Daan served as the Dutch Delegate in the Program Board (PB) Ariane and the Industrial Policy Committee (IPC), PB-Columbus, and PB-Microgravity. After his retirement, Daan remained active in space exploration as an advisor to NIVR, NLR, SSBV, and ESTEC (2007-2013), also staying involved in promotional activities.

Contributions to the NVR

Apart from his work at NIVR, Daan was a board member of the Netherlands Association for Space (NVR) for 30 years (1975 – 2005). In the last 12 years of this period, Daan served as the Chairman. He was also a long-time editor of the magazine Ruimtevaart, contributing prolifically as a writer from 1984 to 2005. Through his articles, he promoted the Dutch space industry, the companies involved, and the programs being executed. He had a preference for overview articles covering all the aforementioned aspects.

Space Exploration 

At the NSO spring meeting on February 18, 2018, it was announced that the asteroid bearing the number 55720 would henceforth be named Daandehoop as it traversed through space. This naming was done in appreciation of Daan’s contributions to space exploration and his efforts to popularize space science among the general public. The naming was carried out by the American astronomer of Dutch origin, Tom Gehrels, at the recommendation of the Haarlem-based science journalist Carl Koppeschaar.

Honorary Member at the NVR 

In 2005, the year Daan de Hoop stepped down from the NVR board after thirty years, the NVR honored him with an honorary membership for his exceptional contributions to space exploration in general.

Daan de Hoop was always present with his vision for the Dutch space industry, even in challenging times. A famous saying in the sector was, “We don’t give up hope.” In the upcoming Ruimtevaart Magazine, we will further pay tribute to Daan de Hoop.