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Jan Albert Bijvoet was born on February 25, 1926 in Kerkrade, The Netherlands; grew up in the Netherlands East Indies, studied in Delft, was eight years employed in Noordwijk aan Zee, nine years in The Hague and back to Noordwijk aan Zee, moved next to Huntsville in Alabama (USA), subsequently a few years in Paris and next back to Huntsville, can justly be called the world traveler of the family. In this article a report of his wanderings and occupations in not every day organizations.
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The undersigned, Jan Albert Bijvoet, descendant in the Dierick Beyvoets branch, grew up in the Netherlands East Indies. After obtaining the degree of Electrotechnisch Ingenieur (Master of Science in Electrical Engineering) from the Technical University in Delft, I was first employed as Development Engineer by the Netherlands RADAR Research Station, a private business, and after that, 9 years as Scientist at the STC (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Technical Center) in The Hague, after which I transferred to the ESTEC ( European Space Technology Center in Noordwijk aan Zee.
In 1976 I was asked to take over an interesting position as Representative of the ESA (European Space Agency) at the MSFC (Marshall Spaced Flight Center) of the NASA (US National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in Huntsville, Alabama for the European Spacelab Program (See NB 1 & 2 hereunder). Having grown up in the Netherlands East Indies we were earlier already on standby to exchange the cold, little, Netherlands, the rain and the winters, for Washington in the United States and we accepted the Alabama offer gladly.
The undersigned, my spouse Euphrosine (Sienie) Bijvoet-van Dijk, and one of our three sons, Frank Anthony Bijvoet, left for Huntsville, Alabama. Robert, the middle one, remained a little longer in the Netherlands to complete his schooling at the Lyceum, and came later. The oldest, Albert Jan, was already settled in Leiden and is now employed by the Academic Hospital as Registered Dialysis and Transplantation Nurse, and stayed in Holland.
The activities in the United States concerned the integration of the SPACELAB in the Space Shuttle Orbiter and the interaction of the Management Teams of ESA and NASA.
After the completion of the development work and the transfer of SPACELAB to NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for further operational use, I returned to Europe to the Headquarters of the ESA in Paris as Secretary of the SPACELAB Program Board, an international political body that decides on the SPACELAB Program and the Budgeting.
My spouse and I transferred to Paris in 1981. Our sons Robert and Frank Anthony however stayed in Huntsville to complete their studies. Toward the end of 1983 I retired from ESA in Paris and we returned to the USA. I accepted a position as Senior Research Scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for the experimental space program of a Consortium for Materials Development in Space which was led by the University.
Robert Bijvoet completed his studies for Master of Science in Business Administration / Systems Management and is now employed by the Boeing Company as Scientist / Engineer for International Space Station Management and International Support. He is married to Janice Needham.
"ARTEMIS", an X-99 (9,9 meter) from Denmark under Spinnaker near the long bridge over the Guntersville Lake.
Frank Anthony completed technical studies at the Calhoun College with specialization in Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning systems. He established his own successful business in Heating and Air-Conditioning Systems and lives with his family in Ardmore, Alabama. He is married to Patricia Silver and has three children: Derek Anthony, Gordon Benedict and Samantha Silver Bijvoet.
With two sons and three grand children in pleasant North Alabama my spouse and I have decided to stay here. Therefore there are now nine Bijvoet ‘s in Alabama, USA.
NB: see de many boats BEHIND us…….!
4 x Bijvoet on Artemis
On the picture are from left to right:
Albert Jan from Leiden, The Netherlands;
Robert from Madison, Al., USA
The undersigned, Jan Albert from Madison, Al.,, and
Frank Anthony from Ardmore, Al., USA.
Ir. Jan A. Bijvoet, Skipper ARTEMIS October 2004
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NB2: Spacelab was funded by the Member States of the ESA, designed and built by a Consortium of European Industries and donated to NASA for flights on board the Space Shuttle Orbiter, NASA’s space Vehicle. In space, Spacelab stays on board the Orbiter; the experiments are done on board under weightlessness and also the doors of the Orbiter’s cargo hold are opened in space which makes it possible to shove material samples out of Spacelab in the space environment. This uses an airlock which was fabricated by Fokker in the Netherlands.
With my brother, Dr Paul Byvoet from Tampa, Florida, after obtaining a second place in a Club Regatta in November 2003 on Wheeler Lake in Alabama. Paul had come over from Florida for the celebration of the 40-years anniversary of me and my spouse.
NB3: A first project was the construction of an apparatus for the conversion in space of certain matter into superconducting materials by bombarding it with the pure atomic oxygen present at the orbiter’s altitude. This experiment flew in space on board of Space Shuttle 46 in 1992 and produced the expected superconducting materials.
ARTEMIS during the Tennessee Valley Challenge Cup Regatta held on Pickwick Lake near the three land point (Alabama, Mississippi en Tennessee) with International Crew: Starboard: Ad Zuurhout, Netherlands; Portside mid-ships: Jean-Francois Falcon, France; Cockpit: the undersigned at the helm and Offa Mc Collum, "USA".
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