Former Dutch astronaut and physicist Wubbo Ockels passed away at the age of 68 years old in Amsterdam on Sunday, local media reported.

Ockels deceased from an aggressive form of kidney cancer that had spread to his pleura. He was already admitted to hospital for a few days.

Ockels was an astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the first Dutch citizen in space. He became a national celebrity when he participated in a flight on the Space Shuttle Challenger on Oct. 30, 1985. He spent seven days in space.

After his astronaut career, Ockels was professor of Aerospace for Sustainable Engineering and Technology at the Delft University of Technology.

"With the death of the first Dutch astronaut we lost a pioneer in innovation and sustainable thinking", Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte responded.