Space Technology

Defence and Security

03 January 2023

Norwegian-Dutch nanosatellites successfully launched

Two Norwegian-Dutch nanosatellites were successfully launched today. “Birkeland” and “Huygens” were placed in orbit around the earth by the company SpaceX. MilSpace2 is a cooperation project between the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).

Tropomi measurement of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the atmosphere above the Netherlands.
Space Technology

01 October 2022

Blog: The Netherlands loses battle for space

5 years ago on 13 October 2017, climate satellite instrument Tropomi was launched – a great day for the Netherlands and crucial for global climate research. The instrument, which maps the entire Earth’s atmosphere every day, was the icing on the cake for a progressive and innovative Dutch space policy. We led the way in Europe. Now, five years later, the Netherlands is in danger of losing the lead and dangling at the back of the pack in terms of investment. With the upcoming European Space Agency (ESA) ministerial conference in Paris, we need to get back on track and accelerate. Climate, defence, cybersecurity and food security are global issues for which space is decisive for solutions, influence and security of countries. Continued investments in new satellite instruments, however, is a must. We must not lose this battle.

Space Technology

19 September 2022

How to keep it cool

In the efforts to identify the impact of human activities on the global climate, space technology and satellites have proved immensely valuable for monitoring the planet and collecting data. But what if the same technologies that keep satellites up and running could help to reduce CO2 emissions at more down-to-earth level too? A cooling technology that was developed at NLR could help reduce the energy needs of the very data centres that are processing the data from the satellites themselves (among other applications).

ESA Galileo constellation
Construction and Manufacturing

03 May 2022

NSO awards €500k for research into manufacturing of satellite propellant tanks

In close collaboration with the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) challenges entrepreneurs to develop space applications. Their products must contribute to the ESA programs. Dawn Aerospace has been awarded €500k for this through the phased innovation competition 'Small Business Innovation Research' (SBIR).

Thermal Control System (TCS) for CubeSats
Space Technology

08 November 2021

Royal NLR and ISISPACE launch mission to keep CubeSats cool

From defence to telecommunications and Earth observation to space exploration, CubeSats have become a critical tool in expanding our horizons. But as the technical demands of the domain increase, power densities and subsequent temperatures are also on the rise. To help keep these temps in check, NLR and ISISpace have joined forces to keep these satellites, and their system engineers, cool.

Operations of the European Robotic Arm on the International Space Station
Space Technology

22 July 2021

Properly prepared for space

The Russian rocket has been launched successfully from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 21 July. The cargo, which includes the European Robotic Arm, is underway to the international space station, ISS. After many years of postponements, the Mission Preparation and Training Equipment that NLR developed will then finally have proved its worth.