Wubbo Ockels (first Dutch astronaut) died this morning at age 68

[Operator]

Wubbo Ockels deceased.



AMSTERDAM -

The first Dutch astronaut Dr. Ockels died this morning to the effects of renal cell cancer, at age 68.

Ockels was physicist, astronaut, pilot and professor. He became the first Dutchman in 1985, a space flight of a week with the space shuttle Challenger.

Ockels was already hospitalized the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital in Amsterdam a few days ago. He was diagnosed with an advanced kidney tumor in 2008 by coincidence. The tumor was successfully removed, but in 2013, renal cell cancer was found again.

Ockels still worked at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft.

translated by Google, slightly corrected.
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2...erleden__.html

He visited our island last year with his ship Ecolution ...


an ultra modern ship with all kinds of technological gadgets:
- technology
- energy

He visited to advice our local community on improving development toward green energy. I briefly spoke with him just before he had to leave
to the Netherlands again to get treatment for his cancer.

I wanted to ask him more about his TED presentation in Amsterdam, November 2009

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=eaV-GeAPSlE

Prof. dr. Wubbo J. Ockels is a Dutch physicist, and also the Netherlands original astronaut. He is a Professor of Aerospace Sustainable Engineering and Technology at the University of Delft, and tries to stimulate a mentality change among Dutch citizens.

In his mind-bending TEDxAmsterdam talk, Ockels explains how time is created by human beings, as a way our brains can make sense of gravity. The speed of light is constant, because it is made by us: its the clock by which we have calibrated our existence. Based on this premise, Ockels proposes a new way to explore life in our galaxy.

When he visited this was THE opportunity to do maybe even a kind of interview.
But this all failed because of his unfortunate, sudden and far too soon death.

Why do all these people (like Brian o 'Leary) die far too young ?

[778 neighbour of some guy]

That is a very sad thing, he was a genuine all round nice guy, also a very spiritual guy for that matter, I bet he is surfing Hubble already for kicks, sh!ts and giggles.

Gogo gadget Wubbles!!!

[Operator]

I am bumping this thread ...

The news that this guy died may not be so significant to most people but I would encourage
everyone to have a look at that TEDx video ... I still think it's another remarkable speech from
an ex-astronaut.

[GaelVictor]

Thank you for the thread. Rest in peace Wubbo.

He worked day and night for sustainable energy, green technology and a better Earth. The ship Ecolution was one of these projects he managed to lift up, but it wasn't easy as some force worked against him; for instance when the Ecolution was targeted and sunk in harbour, with over 1 million Euro in damages, before it could make it's first journey. But he never gave up, kept going, evaded certain death on numerous occasions,(one time a landing Airbus 320 flew right through him while taking off in his sportsplane) and launched many succesfull projects together with a technical university where he was a professor.

It is people like him, who keep believing and keep fighting for that paradigm change, that inspire us to reach for the same.