He originally studied mathematics and physics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg before changing to Astronomy.
From 1975 to 1991, Kippenhahn was director of the Max Planck Institute For Astrophysics in Garching, Munich, Germany.
After 1991, Kippenhahn was an active published author in Göttingen, trying to popularise astronomical science research, in the same vein as Stephen Hawking's writing, for which he won the Bruno H. Bürgel prize.
His books covered such diverse topics as astronomy, cryptology and atomic physics.
In 2005, Kippenhahn was honoured by the Royal Astronomical Society with the Eddington medal for his scientific research into the computation of the structure of star and of stellar evolution.