Heldere hemel, Lodewijk - and: Clear skies, Jim.

This week we have to deal with the passing of two astronauts. The first Dutch-born man in space Lodewijk van den Berg and James McDivitt, both over 90 years old. Respectable ages, if you ask me.

   

Left: Lodewijk van den Berg, Right: James McDivitt. Both pictures: Wikimedia.

Lodewijk van den Berg was born in Sluiskil and emigrated to the US for his study and his work thereafter. His job got a secretive character and he had to become an American citizen to continue what he did. NASA asked him to do his job on board of a spaceshuttle, because no one else knew as much as he did about his line of work. So he became payload specialist and flew on board of Challenger, in the same year Wubbo Ockels would fly, in the same spacecraft. But although Lodewijk was first, Wubbo was the first Dutch astronaut. Lodewijk kept on visiting his birthplace almost every year. He was 90 years old when he passed on.

Korea veteran pilot James McDivitt was one of the second class of astronauts, the New Nine. His first flight was Gemini 4, with Ed White. He commanded the spacecraft and Ed White made the forst U.S. spacewalk. McDivitt later also commanded the Apollo 9 mission that successfully tested the Lunar Lander in Earth orbit. He stayed at NASA as Apollo program manager up til 1972. he was 93.