News overview 2021

22 January 2021

High-tech from the Netherlands hitchhikes to space on Norwegian satellite

Dutch space technology for laser satellite communication will be tested on board the NorSatTD, which will launch in early 2022. This is the result of an agreement that the directors of the Dutch NSO and the Norwegian NOSA signed this morning at the embassies in The Hague and Oslo, respectively. The ambassadors from both countries attended the signing of the agreement.

25 January 2021

The added value of satellites for the adaptation to climate change

The Netherlands is hosting the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021. Over the course of twenty-four hours, the Summit (held on 25 and 26 January) will offer world leaders and many stakeholders a comprehensive digital platform. The platform offers inspiration for effectively dealing with climate change. The Adaptation Action Agenda that will be presented will mark the beginning of a decade of expedited international collaboration. The Netherlands Space Office is happily to contribute to the Climate Adaptation Summit.

27 January 2021

Dutch participants win Galileo and Copernicus Masters with innovative applications for satellite data

How can you use satellite data from navigation and earth-observation satellites in innovative ways down here on Earth? Just ask the three Dutch winners of the European Galileo and Copernicus Masters competitions. Yohan Runhaar will be monitoring the health of coral reefs. Elise van Tilborg will help farmers in Africa with their vision on agriculture. Lastly, Tamme van der Wal will help farmers benefit from satellite data in an accessible manner.

1 February 2021

“2021 will be a wonderful and amazing year for the space sector”

The Dutch space community has acquired the reputation of being innovative. When the corona measures made it impossible to organise the traditional New Year's gathering, NSO and the association of space companies, SpaceNed, presented a special webcast instead: “NL Space 2021: a new orbit around the sun.” In this webcast, various experts, prominent individuals and talents shared their biggest space news of 2021. A panel of experts, including astronaut André Kuipers, scientist Pieternel Levelt and entrepreneur Jeroen Rotteveel, provided clarification and context for the various items.

News overview 2021

8 February 2021

Pieternel Levelt new director of prestigious American lab for atmospheric research

In March, Pieternel Levelt, who currently works as professor of Remote Sensing at Delft University of Technology and head of R&D Satellite Observations at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), will embark on her very own American dream. She will move to Boulder, Colorado, to become the new director of one of the laboratories of the prestigious National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). She will replace the recently deceased Dutch Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen. “It is a truly unique opportunity for me to fi ll his shoes.”

23 February 2021

Secretary Van Engelshoven: “SPEXone is good to go!”

Yesterday, space research institute SRON briefl y opened its digital doors for the media and the parties that have been collaborating over the past years on the new Dutch satellite instrument SPEXone. On behalf of the Dutch government, outgoing minister Ingrid van Engelshoven of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science was there to conduct a fi nal inspection of the instrument before it is shipped off to NASA in the United States.

2 maart 2021

2,600 children will receive astronaut training as part of the Mission X project

As the European space organisation ESA continues to recruit new astronauts, schoolchildren across the Netherlands are preparing for their own future in the space sector. In the coming weeks, a record-breaking number of nearly 2,600 students from 129 Dutch elementary schools will take part in the educational space project Mission X.

12 March 2021

Climate adaptation: satellite data crucial for proper decision making

The NSO is behind a number of workshops organised by the association for geoinformation companies GeoBusiness Nederland at the Space Expo in Noordwijk. In the second edition, three climate experts and a hundred invitees shared their insights via live streaming. NSO director Harm van de Wetering: “I want to bring the world of geoinformation users and that of space applications closer together.”

News overview 2021

9 April 2021

Satellite mission Harmony: NL space opportunities for radar in space

The European space agency ESA is exploring whether Harmony should become the tenth satellite mission in the European Earth Explorer programme. The Dutchman Paco Lopez Dekker plays a key role in this process. As Principal Investigator (PI) of the mission and leader of a new Dutch “knowledge network,” he strives to increase the Netherlands’ contribution to the use of radar technology in space.

15 April 2021

“Doctor on board” via satellite communication with new Dutch app

The new Dutch application MedAssist Live allows doctors to offer medical assistance in even the most remote corners of the world via a satellite connection and two-way augmented reality. The NSO supported the technology development of the application, which is now ready for commercial use in the maritime industry and various other sectors.

16 April 2021

Proper use of artificial intelligence requires human intellect

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a helpful tool used to quickly extract value from the enormous quantity of data available to us every day. “These last five years, the rate at which the systems can learn and find the right connections has grown exponentially. This makes using satellite data even easier and more interesting,” says Raymond Sluiter during the “Satellite Data and AI for Earth” conference that was organised by NSO and “Wijs met locatie.”

15 May 2021

Dutch innovation Sparkwing creates opportunities on the global market for small satellites

Space is developing rapidly as a global commercial market and it is no longer the exclusive domain of space agencies. The Netherlands has the necessary qualities to play a substantial role in the growth market for space in the future as well. NSO is therefore investing in promising innovation with the ESA ARTES programme. One such innovation is Sparkwing, a catalogue of solar panels for smallsats developed by Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands from Leiden.

News overview 2021

19 May 2021

Dutch experiment adds new dimension to research mission to the moons of Jupiter

ESA’s new spacecraft JUICE - short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer - will be tested this month at the ESTEC testing centre in Noordwijk. The Netherlands is responsible for powering JUICE with solar panels developed by Airbus in Leiden. Our country is also involved in the mission on a scientific level. Delft University of Technology together with their colleagues from JIVE will carefully monitor the planetary explorer with radio telescopes located all over the planet, including in Westerbork in the province of Drenthe. In this manner, they are contributing to groundbreaking scientific research of the icy moons of Jupiter.

28 May 2021

Farèlschool in Katwijk wins Mission X 2021

The third grade of the Farèlschool in Katwijk is the Dutch winner of the international school project Mission X 2021. The class came first out of 127 participating Dutch groups by earning the most points. Barbara Hoppel, director of Space Expo, personally stopped by last Tuesday to announce the happy news.

17 June 2021

“The space station will have a clearly visible Dutch contribution”

As a new contribution from the European space agency ESA, the European Robotic Arm (ERA) will be launched to the International Space Station ISS this summer. This marks an important milestone for the Dutch space sector, since ERA was designed and built almost entirely by the Dutch space sector. Sytze Kampen, head of technology at Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands, reflects on the process and looks toward the future: “Above all, I feel very proud.”

1 July 2021

Major update makes Satellite Data Portal more appealing to citizens, businesses and schools

From today, the Dutch Satellite Data Portal boasts a large number of new features, an updated design and greater ease of use. With this update, the NSO continues to invest in the successful data portal, which gives Dutch citizens, businesses and - a new addition - educational institutions free access to satellite images.

News overview 2021

5 July 2021

ERA arm ready for launch: “Another mindblowing mission”

The launch of the European Robotic Arm (ERA) to the international space station ISS is approaching fast. Last Monday, ERA - which was developed and built in the Netherlands - was presented to the Dutch media. The corona-proof event held at ESA's technical centre ESTEC in Noordwijk was attended by circa forty people, including outgoing state secretary Mona Keijzer and astronaut André Kuipers.

6 July 2021

Kaj Munk College Hoofddorp wins Dutch CanSat competition

Students of the Kaj Munk College in Hoofddorp won first place in the Dutch CanSat competition. CanSat is a challenging project for secondary school students. The school students are ask to build their own satellite within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The winning team Gaia won the golden CanSat award and a meet-and-greet with astronaut André Kuipers.

9 July 2021

“The strength lies in the combination of both large and small satellite instruments”

From 12 to 16 July, the Netherlands and Belgium are organising the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). IGARSS is the foremost annual international symposium for the combination of remote sensing (earth observation) and geosciences. Ilse Aben, senior scientist at SRON and endowed professor of physics and chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere at the Vrije Universiteit, will give a talk at IGARSS about the methane leaks that she and her team discovered using the Dutch satellite instrument Tropomi.

19 July 2021

Astronaut André Kuipers: “Dutch robotic arm makes the work of astronauts on board ISS safer”

The European Robotic Arm (ERA), which was developed in the Netherlands, will be launched to the International Space Station ISS on 21 July. Over the course of his training, astronaut André Kuipers became intimately familiar with ERA. “It is an absolute milestone for the Netherlands to see ERA launch into space.”

News overview 2021

21 July 2021

Dutch robotic arm ERA successfully launched to space station ISS

Earlier today, the European Robotic Arm (ERA) was successfully launched to the International Space Station ISS. At 16:58 Dutch time, a Proton rocket took off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, carrying with it the Russian laboratory module Nauka and the European Robotic Arm, the robotic arm that was developed and built in the Netherlands.

29 July 2021

ERA arm arrived at ISS

“Contact confirmed,” “capture confirmed,” “docking confirmed.” After an afternoon of nail-biting tension, these words were followed by sighs of relief. At 15:29 Dutch time, the twenty-tonne Russian Nauka module approached the international space station ISS at a leisurely pace of ten centimetres per second. This was an important moment for the Dutch space sector, because it marked the arrival of the European Robotic Arm - developed and built in the Netherlands - at its destination. The operations of the ERA arm can now begin.

5 August 2021

Monitoring global water levels with satellite data

Before long, the Global Water Watch will provide anyone with free and highly detailed online access to myriad facts about global surface water levels. The project's goal is to contribute to a more balanced and sustainable use of fresh water and provide clearer information during calamities. The so-called Behoeftestudie Waterbeheer, conducted by order of NSO, provided an important incentive for this development.

19 August 2021

Myriad innovative ideas for satellite applications to deal with climate change

Satellites are important for our understanding of our climate and for monitoring the weather and the climate. How can satellites contribute to our efforts to mitigate or adapt to the effects of climate change? NSO challenged entrepreneurs to come up with innovative ideas. In total, twenty-seven businesses submitted a proposal. Six companies will receive an SBIR subsidy to conduct a feasibility study for their idea.

News overview 2021

20 September 2021

Students launch miniature satellites with rocket

This morning, teams of secondary-school students launched their home-made miniature CanSat satellites into the air at ASK 't Harde. After the spectacular launch, the satellites reached a height of one kilometre. As a result of the corona measures, this year's CanSat competition was not like that of other years. For example, the winner - team Gaia of the Kaj Munk College in Hoofddorp - had already been chosen back in July of 2021.

14 October 2021

Dutch contribution to space telescope JWST gives scientists a head start

The James Webb Space Telescope, the successor of the ground-breaking Hubble space telescope, is scheduled to be launched into space at the end of this year. The Netherlands contributed to the mission by taking part in ESA's scientific programme and by developing a part of the instrument with financial support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Dutch scientists expect this investment to pay off - and then some.

1 November 2021

“The Netherlands is number one in radio astronomy; we must take the lead”

With its Partnerships for Space Instruments & Applications Preparatory Programme, the Netherlands supports technological breakthroughs and scientific cooperation in space research. The “Partnership for Space Instruments for Interferometry in Space” is building telescopes that should earn the Netherlands a new Nobel Prize.

10 November 2021

“The Netherlands is leading in small satellites; that is why we need to invest”

With its Partnerships for Space Instruments & Applications Preparatory Programme, the Netherlands supports technological breakthroughs and scientific cooperation in space research. The “Dutch Network on Small Spaceborne Radar Instruments and Applications” is working on smaller radar instruments that can fly through space like a swarm.

News overview 2021

16 November 2021

NL Space “on a mission” at Space Tech Expo in Bremen

This week, the Dutch space sector attended Europe's largest space convention - the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen - with its own NL Space pavilion. To mark the occasion, NSO, the Province of South Holland, the association of space companies SpaceNed and the Dutch embassy organised two networking events and an “innovation mission.” Ronald van Roeden, the Dutch ambassador in Germany: “It is wonderful to see that the royal visit to Bremen in 2019 has further strengthened the partnership between the Dutch and German space sectors.”

23 November 2021

“This cooperation will lead to great discoveries in space”

With its Partnerships for Space Instruments & Applications Preparatory Programme, the Netherlands supports technological breakthroughs and scientific cooperation in space research. The “Expertise Network Optical Technology for Exoplanetary Research” is working on innovative sensors for great discoveries in space.

26 November 2021

NSO wins international innovation award for “satellite data for food security” programme

The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) has received this year's GEO Award for Innovation. NSO won the award for its G4AW - Space for Food Security programme, which NSO is carrying out on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The award was given out today by Dr Argyro Kavvada, GEO's Manager of Sustainable Development Goals Activities.

14 December 2021

“We improve satellite applications by bringing science and society together”

With its Partnerships for Space Instruments & Applications Preparatory Programme, the Netherlands supports technological breakthroughs and scientific cooperation in space research. The “Expertise Network Air Quality” investigates how satellites may help to discover air quality over a street, harbour or highway.

News overview 2021

15 December 2021

Carble and Soilspect win Dutch competition for satellite applications

Startups Carble and Soilspect are the Dutch winners of the 2021 Copernicus Masters and Galileo Masters competitions. NSO director Harm van de Wetering announced the news yesterday during the annual Space Awards event. The Copernicus and Galileo Masters are European competitions for new and innovative applications that utilise navigation and earthobservation satellites. In addition to an overall European winner, “local” awards are given to the best ideas from each participating country.

16 December 2021

“Together, we are building an ecosystem for innovations in remote sensing”

With its Partnerships for Space Instruments & Applications Preparatory Programme, the Netherlands supports technological breakthroughs and scientific cooperation in space research. The “Expertise Network Microwave Data for Vegetation Monitoring” aims to be able to monitor crops on Earth in real time from space.

21 December 2021

Launch of James Webb Space Telescope approaches: a golden flower with Dutch ingenuity at its heart

Astronomers around the world are getting excited. If all goes well, the James Webb Space Telescope will launch on 24 December. The Netherlands contributed to this new telescope, which was already famous before it had even left the planet. In the future, Dutch astronomers will use it often in their attempts to solve the big mysteries of our universe.