SRON

In the early 2040s, the #HabitableWorldsObservatory will search for signs of life in planetary atmospheres, but the needed detectors don’t exist yet. @sronspace.bsky.social Pieter de Visser receives an #ERCConsolidatorGrant to develop KIDs.

More info: www.sron.nl/en/actueel/e...

A team led by SRON's Liyi Gu and Jelle Kaastra observed a sudden outburst near the supermassive black hole NGC 3783, reaching 20% of light speed. During ten days with mainly XRISM, they saw it form and accelerate—likely driven by untwisting magnetic field lines, similar to solar flares. ✨

𝗔 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳. 🌌

At SRON, we work on every step of the space mission cycle, from technology development and instrument design to data analysis.

Short lines between researchers, engineers and scientists keep our missions focused and moving fast. 🚀

SRON researcher Ralf Kohlhaas receives a PhotonDelta and NWO grant to develop instrumentation that measures both polarization and spectrum of light. Together with TU Delft and industry partners, the project aims to enable future aerosol measurements from space using photonic chip technology.

Euclid’s new dataset of one million galaxies shows clear evidence that galaxy mergers drive active supermassive black holes — and are even the primary trigger for the most luminous AGN.

A long-standing debate finally has strong observational support.

SRON director Michael Wise is attending the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level as advisor to the Dutch government. The meeting sets member state contributions for 2026–2028. SRON provides scientific guidance for Dutch contributions to international space missions.

SRON and TU Delft researchers have developed detectors with chip-style flat lenses, removing a key scalability bottleneck for far-infrared space cameras. The microstructured lenses mimic curved optics but are
much easier to assemble, enabling larger space cameras.

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿!

At SRON, you help build the high-precision instruments that explore our universe.

Join us if you love detail and perfect accuracy.
werkenbijsron.nl/vacatures/fi...

#vacancy #engineering #sronspace

Meet our constellation of collaboration!

Together with partners like TNO, Airbus NL, KNMI, TU Delft, NOVA and ISISPACE, SRON develops and tests instruments for international space missions — from first concept to launch.

Check it out: www.sron.nl/over-ons/

𝗔 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳. 🌌

At SRON, we work on every step of the space mission cycle, from technology development and instrument design to data analysis.

Short lines between researchers, engineers and scientists keep our missions focused and moving fast. 🚀

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿.

Curious about space research? 🚀 Through SRON’s NEBULA Xplorer program, 400 students help develop a real satellite and learn how to build a space mission from the ground up. 🌌

Discover more: www.sron.nl/missies/in-d...

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄?
Every instrument we launch into space is tested using end-to-end simulations that predict how light, radiation, and signals behave once in orbit.

Kind of like The Matrix… but not really. 🤷‍♂️

Learn more here: www.sron.nl/en/research-...

We’re hiring a postdoctoral atmospheric scientist! Help analyse satellite data from TROPOMI and GHGSat, trace methane emissions to their sources and support global mitigation efforts.

werkenbijsron.nl/en/vacancies...

#emissions #earthobservation #sronspace

SRON is at the Precision Fair this week, where ‘space’ is the central theme. We’re sharing developments in space research and precision engineering, and our colleague Martin Grim presented the NEBULA-Xplorer student project during the Big Science sessions. 🚀

SRON will be present at several upcoming events!

🔭 Precision Engineering Conference ‘SPACE’
🛰️ Bremen Space Tech
🌌 Discover Your Space 2026
🌠 AAS Conference
🌍 Rocky Worlds 4 Conference
🚀 EU Conference Space
✨ Amsterdam Space Symposium

Meet us, greet us: see you there!

Yesterday OCW minister Gouke Moes visited SRON, Airbus Netherlands and LiS. He discussed Dutch space instruments — TROPOMI, SPEXone and TANGO — with SRON researchers.

With OCW’s support, Dutch partnerships lead in earth observation and astrophysics from space. 🌍

SRON researchers and GHGSat present a global survey of methane emissions from 150+ landfills in Nature. They found differences between reported inventories and satellite estimates — showing satellites can reveal and locate major leaks to support mitigation.

SRON & Leiden University PhD student Julia Wasala is developing code that automatically identifies emissions of gases such as carbon monoxide and potentially nitrogen dioxide in TROPOMI data, on top of the methane plumes already recognized automatically. Publication in IEEE.

Today and tomorrow, Radboud University hosts the Dutch-Belgian Gravitational Wave Consortium Meeting.

Topics include the Einstein Telescope, Pulsar Timing Arrays and LISA, probing wavelengths from nanoHertz to hundreds of Hertz, from merging neutron stars to the gravitational wave background.

SRON astronomer Matus Rybak receives a #VidiGrant from NWO to observe cyanides in early galaxies -the fuel for the first stars. He’ll conduct the research in Leiden with a PhD student.

Ilse Aben has received the NWO Stevin Prize from OCW directorgeneral Feite Hofman in The Hague.

She is honored for the societal impact of TROPOMI, the Dutch space instrument mapping methane leaks worldwide — with an impact twice as large as all greenhouse gas emissions of the Netherlands.

An international team led by Leiden Observatory and SRON - including Keren Duer-Milner - has explained the powerful eastward and westward jet streams on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune using one model for all.

In collaboration with NOVA and Leiden University.

SRON and CNES have signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen collaboration in earth observation, astrophysics, planetology and space instrumentation. The signing took place in Toulouse during the Dutch King and Queen’s visit, within the Dutch-French Economic Year.

SRON has joined forces with the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership.

With satellite observations, we will detect methane emissions from unlit flare installations in the oil & gas sector, providing actionable data to support emission reductions.

SRON researchers Steven de Rooij & Pieter de Visser are building detectors that capture the colour of each photon from faint exoplanets. A little material “disorder” helps absorb more light — but too much leads to signal loss. A key step toward studying distant worlds.

Stay up to date with the latest in Dutch space science.

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👉 Check out the autumn issue and sign up to receive future editions: app.hellodialog.com/ref/mail/onl...

#newsletter #spaceresearch #spaceexploration

10 years ago today, LIGO detected the first gravitational waves - ripples in spacetime from two colliding black holes. Since then, 200+ events have been seen. Next up: LISA, the first space-based detector, with Dutch contributions led by SRON. 🚀

NEBULA – Xplorer enters its next phase!

32 students + partners are tackling challenges from mirror modules to satellite systems. With @inholland.bsky.social, the team is building a Structural Thermal Model - a key milestone.

🎙️ Hear more in the Space Cowboys podcast: www.bnr.nl/search?q=Spa...

Last night, ESA launched the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite. It carries the partly Dutch Sentinel-5 with SRON’s immersed grating, joining Sentinel-5p/TROPOMI to measure methane and carbon monoxide. Both flying in different orbits, they deliver twice the measurements.

Want to design a real space mission?

At Alpbach Summer School, students tackle ambitious science within real mission limits. SRON sponsored 4 Dutch students for the 50th edition.

Dutch BSc/MSc/PhD student? Check out Alpbach 2026!