Lodewijk van den Berg (born March 24, 1932) is a Dutch American
chemical engineerIn the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
, specializing in
crystal growthThe crystalline state of matter is characterized by a distinct structural rigidity and virtual resistance to deformation . Most crystalline solids have high values both of Young's modulus and of the shear modulus of elasticity...
, who flew on a 1985
Space Shuttle ChallengerSpace Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. Its maiden flight was on April 4, 1983, and it completed nine missions before breaking apart 73 seconds after the launch of its tenth mission, STS-51-L on January 28, 1986, resulting...
mission as a
Payload SpecialistIn NASA vernacular, a Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a Space Shuttle mission...
. He was the first Dutch-born astronaut, a fact that is often overlooked in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
because he was a
naturalizedNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship or nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born....
American and no longer a Dutch citizen at the time of flight. He is married and has two children. , he resides in
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
and works as a chief scientist at the Constellation Technology Corporation.
Van den Berg was born on March 24, 1932, in
SluiskilSluiskil is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Terneuzen, and lies about 27 km southeast of Vlissingen.In 2001, the town of Sluiskil had 2366 inhabitants...
,
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
.
Lodewijk van den Berg (born March 24, 1932) is a Dutch American
chemical engineerIn the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
, specializing in
crystal growthThe crystalline state of matter is characterized by a distinct structural rigidity and virtual resistance to deformation . Most crystalline solids have high values both of Young's modulus and of the shear modulus of elasticity...
, who flew on a 1985
Space Shuttle ChallengerSpace Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. Its maiden flight was on April 4, 1983, and it completed nine missions before breaking apart 73 seconds after the launch of its tenth mission, STS-51-L on January 28, 1986, resulting...
mission as a
Payload SpecialistIn NASA vernacular, a Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a Space Shuttle mission...
. He was the first Dutch-born astronaut, a fact that is often overlooked in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
because he was a
naturalizedNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship or nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born....
American and no longer a Dutch citizen at the time of flight. He is married and has two children. , he resides in
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
and works as a chief scientist at the Constellation Technology Corporation.
Education and early career
Van den Berg was born on March 24, 1932, in
SluiskilSluiskil is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Terneuzen, and lies about 27 km southeast of Vlissingen.In 2001, the town of Sluiskil had 2366 inhabitants...
,
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
. Van den Berg was educated in the Netherlands where he attended the
Delft University of TechnologyThe Delft University of Technology in Delft, the Netherlands, is the nation's largest technical university, with over 15,000 students, 2,700 scientists and 1,800 people in the support and management staff...
from 1949 to 1961 and earned his
Engineer's degreeAn engineer's degree refers to a various number of academic degrees relating to engineering:-In Europe:In Europe, it can be an approximately five-year degree roughly equivalent to a master's degree....
in
chemical engineeringChemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the application of physical science , and life sciences with mathematics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
. He moved to the United States to continue studying at the
University of DelawareThe University of Delaware is the largest university in Delaware. The main campus is in Newark, with satellite campuses in Dover, Wilmington, Lewes and Georgetown. It is medium-sized – approximately 16,000 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students...
, where he took another masters degree, this time in applied science, and then his
Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated PhD , for the Latin , meaning "teacher of philosophy", or alternatively, DPhil, for the equivalent , is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in 1974, also in applied science.
After he had completed his Ph.D., he was offered a job at EG&G Corporation Energy Measurements in
Goleta, CaliforniaGoleta is a city located in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a new city in 2002, after a long time as being the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county...
, to work on crystal growth. EG&G was a
defense contractorA defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a defense department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems...
of the United States government and dealt with sensitive information and science. In 1975, this required Van den Berg to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Van den Berg gathered years of research and management experience in the preparation of crystalline materials—in particular, the growth of single crystals of chemical compounds, and the investigation of associated defect chemistry and electronic properties. He became an international authority on vapor growth techniques with an emphasis on
mercuric iodideMercury iodide is a chemical compound with an appearance of red-orange crystals. Unlike mercury chloride it is hardly soluble in water ....
crystals and its application in the nuclear industry as
gamma rayGamma rays are electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . They are produced by sub-atomic particle interactions, such as electron-positron annihilation, neutral pion decay, radioactive decay, fusion, fission or inverse Compton scattering in astrophysical processes...
detectors. During his work at
EG&GEG&G is a U.S. national defense contractor and provider of management and technical services. The company was involved in contracting services to the United States government during World War II, and conducted weapons research and development after the war. Its close involvement with some of the U.S...
, Van den Berg asked NASA for permission to conduct crystal growth experiments in space, which NASA approved.
Selection
Van den Berg and his colleagues designed the EG&G Vapor Crystal Growth System experiment apparatus for a Space Shuttle flight. The experiment required an in-flight operator and NASA decided that it would be easier to train a crystal growth scientist to become an astronaut, than it would be the other way around. NASA asked EG&G and Van den Berg to compile a list of eight people who would qualify to perform the science experiments in space and to become a
Payload SpecialistIn NASA vernacular, a Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a Space Shuttle mission...
. Van den Berg and his chief, Dr. Harold A. Lamonds could only come up with seven names. Lamonds subsequently proposed adding Van den Berg to the list, joking with Van den Berg that due to his age, huge glasses and little strength, he would probably be dropped during the first selection round; but at least they would have eight names. Van den Berg agreed to be added to the list, but didn't really consider himself being selected to be a realistic scenario.
The first selection round, consisted of a selection based on science qualifications in the field in question, which Van den Berg easily passed. The final four candidates were tested on physical and mental qualifications which he also passed, while two of the others failed due to possible heart issues. He was now part of the final two, and NASA always trains two astronauts, a prime and a back-up. In 1983 he started to train as an astronaut and six months before the launch he was told that he would be the prime astronaut, much to his own surprise. When he went into space he was 53 years old, making him one of the oldest
rookieRookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport and has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
astronauts.
STS-51B
Van den Berg was assigned as
Payload SpecialistIn NASA vernacular, a Payload Specialist ' was an individual selected and trained by commercial or research organizations for flights of a specific payload on a Space Shuttle mission...
on STS-51B
Challenger (April 29–May 6 1985). STS-51B, the Spacelab-3 mission, was launched from the
Kennedy Space CenterThe John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center on Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States. The site is near Cape Canaveral, midway between Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. It is long and around wide, covering . A total of...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, and returned to land at
Edwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond. It is named in...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
. It was the first operational
SpacelabSpacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit...
mission. The seven-man crew aboard
Challenger conducted investigations into crystal growth, drop dynamics leading to containerless material processing, atmospheric trace gas spectroscopy, solar and planetary atmospheric simulation, cosmic rays, and laboratory-animal and human medical monitoring.
As a co-investigator of the Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS) experiment, Van den Berg was responsible for the crystal growth aspects of the VCGS experiment. He had intimate knowledge of VCGS and Fluid Experiment System (FES) hardware, and had participated in all major design and science reviews of those systems.
By the end of the mission, Van den Berg had traveled over 2.9 million miles in 110 Earth orbits, and logged over 168 hours in space.
Life after NASA
After returning to Earth, Van den Berg continued to work on crystal growth experiments at EG&G in California and he became the head for the section of
materials scienceMaterials science or materials engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering. This science investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their...
. At a later time he moved to
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
to become a chief scientist at the Constellation Technology Corporation. At age 72, he continued to work up to 40 hours a week and grow crystals, a process he compares to gardening. The crystals he grows (Mercuric Iodide crystals) are used to make precision detectors for nuclear radiation. These detectors are used in medical applications, by the defense industry and the
International Atomic Energy AgencyThe International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. It was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
.
He visits the Netherlands every two years, and was the subject of a short 2004 documentary by
NetwerkNetwerk is a Dutch 'behind the news' television show on Nederland 2. It is also the name of an Afrikaner organisation formed on 4 October 2006 at Windhoek, Namibia.- References :*...
called:
The `forgotten astronaut`.
Asteroid
On September 28, 2007 the main belt
asteroidthumb|260px|right|[[253 Mathilde]], a [[C-type asteroid]] measuring about across. Photograph taken in 1997 by the [[NEAR Shoemaker]] probe.Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets or planetoids, are small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun, especially in the inner Solar System; they are...
11430 (9560 P-L) was named after him and is now know as
11430 Lodewijkberg11430 Lodewijkberg is a main belt asteroid with an orbital period of 1195.5383307 days . It was named after astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg. The asteroid was discovered on October 17, 1960.-References:...
. The asteroid was discovered October 17, 1960 by
Cornelis Johannes van HoutenCornelis Johannes van Houten was a Dutch astronomer, sometimes referred to as Kees van Houten.Born in The Hague, he spent his entire career at Leiden University except for a brief period as research assistant at Yerkes Observatory...
and
Ingrid van Houten-GroeneveldIngrid Mortimer van Houten-Groeneveld is a Dutch astronomer.In a jointly-credited trio with Tom Gehrels and her husband Cornelis Johannes van Houten, she was an extremely prolific discoverer of many thousands of asteroids...
at
Leiden ObservatoryLeiden Observatory is an astronomical observatory in the city of Leiden in the Netherlands. It was established by Leiden University in 1633, to house the quadrant of Snellius, and is the oldest operating University observatory in the world Leiden Observatory (Sterrewacht Leiden in Dutch) is an...
, where they were studying
photographic platePhotographic plates preceded photographic film as a mean of photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile...
s taken by
Tom GehrelsTom Gehrels is an American astronomer, Professor Planetary Sciences, and Astronomer at the University of Arizona, Tucson....
using the
Palomar ObservatoryPalomar Observatory , at approximately 5,570 ft elevation, is a privately owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, 90 miles southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory, in the Palomar Mountain Range. It is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology...
's
Samuel Oschin telescopeThe Samuel Oschin telescope is a 48-inch aperture Schmidt camera at the Palomar Observatory in northern San Diego County, California. It consists of a 49.75-inch Schmidt corrector plate and a 72-inch mirror. The instrument is strictly a camera; there is no provision for an eyepiece to look...
.
Academic publications
- "Fabrication of mercuric iodide radiation detectors", Lodewijk van den Berg and Ron D. Vigil, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators,Spectrometers,Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume 458, Issues 1-2, 1 February 2001, Pages 148-151
- "Improved yield of high resolution mercuric iodide gamma-ray spectrometers", Vernon Gerrish and Lodewijk van den Berg, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume 299, Issues 1-3, 20 December 1990, Pages 41-44
External links