The Honorary Members

The General Members’ Meeting has appointed the following persons as honorary members of the Dutch Space Association:

Gerard Blaauw

dr. ir. G.J. (Gerard) Blaauw made an important contribution to the development of Dutch space in the period 2003-2011 in his position of Director TNO Space and as Board member SpaceNed. After his retirement, as chairman of the ‘Local Organizing Committee Space Studies Program 2018 (LOC SSP18)’, he played an important role in bringing the International Space University Space Studies Program to the Netherlands in 2018. He has been intensively involved in this to date. continued to provide important support to the training of ‘NL-connected’ Young Professionals through the ‘Stichting Space Professionals Foundation (SSPF)’, where he has been chairman of the board since its foundation in 2017.
In addition, Gerard has made an extraordinary effort as chairman of the association from 2011 to 2020. During that period, together with his fellow board members and with the support of all volunteers, he allowed the association to grow again into a vibrant association. associations have been cited and recorded in MOUs and a growing number of young professionals have joined the association and become active in the organisation. He has personally been very active in maintaining a good relationship with the company members.

HONORARY MEMBER SINCE 2021

Tanja Masson-Zwaan

drs. T.L. (Tanja) Masson – Zwaan is Asst. Professor and Deputy Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law of Leiden University. Based on her specialism and from the Netherlands, she has played a leading, worldwide role for many years in profiling and implementing Space Law in the predominantly technical space industry. She has been advising the Dutch government on the Dutch Space Activities Act for ten years now.

In the period from 2010 to 2016, Tanja Masson-Zwan has worked for the NVR for two board terms, first as a board member and from 2013 as vice-chairman. She has played a stimulating role in revitalizing the NVR back to the association we know today, and also in getting more women and young professionals active within the NVR.

HONORARY MEMBER SINCE 2019

Bart Reijnen

ir. H.J.D. (Bart) Reijnen is an aerospace engineer. He was CEO of Dutch Space BV (now Airbus Defense and Space Netherlands) from January 2006 to January 2013 and chairman of the trade association SpaceNed from June 2006 to March 2013. From 2013 to 2016, he was within the company Airbus Defense and Space de Bremen Site Director and Head of Orbital Systems and Space Exploration. Since November 2016, he has been Chief Executive Officer at Satair Group (a 100% Airbus subsidiary) in Copenhagen.

HONORARY MEMBER SINCE 2015

Daan de Hoop

ir. D. (Daan) de Hoop has devoted himself like no other to the promotion of Dutch space travel. For thirty years he was involved in the board of the Netherlands Space Association (NVR), the last ten of which as chairman. He was also editor of our magazine Ruimtevaart.

The asteroid bearing the number 55720 will now travel through space as ‘Daandehoop’.

HONORARY MEMBER SINCE 2005

André Kuipers

drs. A. (André) Kuipers is a Dutch astronaut of the European Space Agency ESA. He is after Lodewijk van den Berg and Wubbo Ockels the third astronaut born in the Netherlands and after Wubbo Ockels the second astronaut with Dutch nationality to go into space. Kuipers’ first space flight took place as part of the Delta mission.

HONORARY MEMBER SINCE 2004

Piet Smolders

Petrus Lambertus Lucas (Piet) Smolders is a Dutch freelance journalist who specializes in space travel. He is the expert in the Netherlands in particular in the field of Russian space travel. From 1987 to 2001 he was director of the Artis Planetarium. He has also been a board member of the National Space Museum Foundation since its foundation, a position he resigned in 2005.

HONORARY MEMBER SINCE 2001

Karel Wakker

Prof. dr. ir. K.F. (Karel) Wakker is an emeritus professoraerospace engineering who was affiliated with the TU Delft where he was also Rector Magnificus from 1993 to 2002. From 2003 to 2009 he was director of SRON. He has conducted research into satellite orbital mechanics, crustal deformations and sea level variations. In 2011, the asteroid 1152 T-2 was renamed “12160 Karelwaker” by the International Astronomical Union.

Honorary member since 1998

Deceased Honorary Members

Ing. R. Fehres

Honorary member since 1965

Lt-Gen.bd A.B. Wolff

Honorary member since1974

Prof. Ir. H. Wittenberg

Honorary member since 1991

Prof. dr. ir. J.M.J. Kooy

Honorary member since 1970

Drs. C.W. Dornseiffen

Honorary member since 1971

Prof. Dr. C (Kees) de Jager

1921-2021, Honorary member since 2011

Ir. J.H. Houtman

Honorary member since 1970

Ir. M.J. Bottema

Honorary member since 1976

Ir. J.H. (Jan) de Koomen

1926-2021, Honorary member since 1991

M. Vertregt

Honorary member since 1970

J.A. Redeker

Honorary member