
The invisible force behind our daily lives
In the Netherlands, about a thousand people work on space projects every day. They make sure everything related to space works well and create new things. Dutch devices fly on satellites from ESA and NASA. These satellites measure air pollution, greenhouse gases, and the hole in the ozone layer all over the world every day. TNO plays an important role in this.
Many things we use daily, like smartphones, tablets, radios, and TVs, wouldn't exist without space technology. These devices work thanks to data collected by satellites. Navigation, weather forecasts, and monitoring climate change are also possible because of space technology.


Space around us: can you find everything in the picture?
The picture shows what we can do thanks to space technology. Can you find all the examples?
- Internet everywhere thanks to laser communication;
- Monitoring climate change and air quality (TROPOMI & Sentinel-5);
- Better predictions of extreme weather (EarthCARE);
- Sending secret messages safely;
- Searching for signs of life on planets outside our solar system;
- Streaming wirelessly wherever you want (even on a plane);
- Playing online learning games, quizzes, and video games;
- Navigation anywhere in the world;
- Looking at stars, planets, and the far universe to understand how they work;
- Measuring ripples in space (caused by black holes colliding).
Pioneer in Space Innovation
Space plays a crucial role in everyone's daily life on Earth. Satellites for communication, earth observation, and astronomy are becoming an essential part of our planet's infrastructure.

Get inspired
60 Years of Space Innovation: Pioneering Beyond Earth


This is our time: Industrialising TNO's optical satellite communication technology


This is our time: working on breakthroughs in laser satellite communication


Making the Netherlands indispensable in laser satellite communication


Successful Ground Test Shows Potential for Satellite Identification

