Johan Bleeker


Johannes Alphonsus Marie "Johan" Bleeker is a Dutch space technology scientist. He was director of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research from 1983 to 2003. He was involved in the setting up of the Horizon 2000 and Horizon 2000+ projects of the European Space Agency.

Career

Bleeker was born in Leeuwarden on 20 July 1942. He attended the Hogere Burgerschool. Bleeker subsequently studied engineering physics at Delft University of Technology. He continued his studies at Leiden University, where he in 1971 he obtained his doctorate under Hendrik C. van de Hulst with a thesis titled: The diffuse X-ray sky.
Bleeker stayed at Leiden University and worked at the Task Force Cosmic Radiation until 1983, during the final two years he was group leader. In 1983 he became director of the Utrecht Laboratory for Space Research, which later became the Netherlands Institute for Space Research. Bleeker was director until 2003, he was succeeded by.
Apart from his position at the Netherlands Institute for Space Research Bleeker was a professor of space exploration at Utrecht University. He was an extraordinary professor from 1985 to 1991, and was then appointed as full professor. He took up emeritus status in 2007.

Research

The research and projects of Bleeker have covered amongst others: high energy astrophysics, x-radiation, cosmic rays.
Bleeker was involved in the setting up of the Horizon 2000 and Horizon 2000+ projects of the European Space Agency. In 1996 he criticized the budget constraints to the projects, which were imposed by the European ministers.

Honors and awards

Bleeker was elected a member of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1988. He was elected a member of Academia Europaea in 1989.
In 2002 Bleeker was made a Commander in the Order of the Dutch Lion. He was named an honorary member of the in 2007. is named after him.