Dutch astronaut André Kuipers is to make his second trip into space in December 2011 when he flies to the International Space Station for a six month tour of duty, reports Wednesday’s Telegraaf.

Kuipers has been given the news of the upcoming space flight by the European Space Agency, says the Telegraaf. ‘I am very happy,’ Kuipers is quoted as saying, ‘this is what you do it for.
The US space agency NASA is expected to give the mission the green light later this week, says the paper.
It will be the third time a Dutch astronaut goes into space. The first was Wubbo Ockels, followed by Kuipers in 2004.