SRON

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
At SRON, collaboration drives our work. We team up with partners including @esa.int and many research institutes to develop space instruments, analyse satellite data and support missions like TROPOMI, PACE, XRISM, PLATO and TANGO.

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵.
Blue Monday can feel heavy when we look at rising temperatures and extreme weather. SRON turns concern into action by developing satellite technology that monitors greenhouse gases, aerosols and climate impacts from space. Understanding Earth brings motivation change.

Yesterday, SRON hosted the Clear Air Consortium symposium on clouds and aerosols. Over sixty scientists discussed new results from the PACE and EarthCARE satellites. ClearAir unites SRON, TNO, KNMI and TU Delft to advance satellite-based atmospheric research.

PLATO has completed vibration tests at ESA’s ESTEC centre in Noordwijk ahead of its rocket launch this year. Earlier, SRON tested 11 of its 26 cameras under extreme space conditions. With a wide field of view, PLATO will study hundreds of thousands of stars to search for planets in the Milky Way.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙨. Researchers from SRON and TU Delft, Jochem Baselmans and Shahab Dabironezare, designed a shape that turns aluminium into a black absorber of far infrared light, advancing Kinetic Inductance Detectors for NASA’s candidate mission PRIMA.

In 𝘏𝘦𝘵 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥, SRON scientist Otto Hasekamp explains how aerosols can cool and warm the planet by reflecting or absorbing sunlight. With SPEXone, launched in 2024, his team measures aerosols and clouds from space. Results suggest aerosol warming may be overestimated in climate models.

Near a black hole, gravity bends light by stretching spacetime itself. At SRON, we design and build X-ray detectors to study the hot gas swirling around these cosmic giants.

By analysing every single photon, we uncover how matter behaves in one of the most extreme environments in the universe. 🌌

SRON develops on-chip spectrometers that split light into precise wavelength bands. Smaller, lighter and more efficient than traditional instruments, they are ideal for future space missions. Systems like DESHIMA pave the way for new discoveries in galaxy formation and star evolution.

Space research drives discoveries out there and progress down here. At SRON, we develop satellite technology to monitor Earth’s atmosphere and greenhouse gas emissions, supporting climate action. At the same time, our innovations strengthen the Dutch high-tech sector and future space missions.

Telescope, telescope, what’s the news today?

As we look to the stars and study our own planet from above, curiosity connects us all. But during the holidays, the answers aren’t found in the stars, they’re found at home.

Warm holiday wishes from everyone at SRON. 🌟

𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

An ESA web story shows how satellite observations near Madrid help detect methane leaks from landfills, supporting cities and authorities in targeting emission hotspots and taking action.

🔗 www.esa.int/Applications...

SRON researchers co-author a new Science paper with 𝗚𝗛𝗚𝗦𝗮𝘁 showing how satellite observations can monitor methane emissions from individual facilities worldwide, delivering reliable, actionable data for climate action.

Read the 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 article here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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.