Dutch ESA astronaut André Kuipers will blast off into space for the second time in late November. Here he talks about his extraordinary mission, the possibilities of space tourism and the magic of travelling through the universe. Explore outer space with André Kuipers!

ESA astronaut André Kuipers is now officially ready for liftoff on 21 December: he and his crewmates have passed their final exams and left for the launch site yesterday.

Every crew destined for the International Space Station must endure two days of final exams in the simulators at Star City near Moscow before they are cleared for flight.

And it is not a formality - they have to show they can control their Soyuz spacecraft and handle the Station in all situations

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