Netherlands Space Office

The Netherlands Space Office (short: NSO ) is a government organization and the Space Agency of the Netherlands. Your task is to promote the Dutch aerospace industry, the planning and coordination of the Dutch space program and its Relations with other space agencies.

Foundation

In October 2008, signed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (Dutch Ministerie van Economische Zaken ), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Dutch Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap ) and the Ministry of Transport and Water Management (Dutch Ministerie van Traffic and Public Works ) a contract with the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research ( Dutch Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek ), short- NWO, an independent administrative authority under the auspices of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, on the establishment of the Netherlands Space Office The Netherlands Space Office took his operational on 1 July 2009. The office took over the tasks of the National Agency for Space Activities (Dutch Nederlands Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling Ruimtevaart s ) ( NIVR ).

Task

The NSO was established by the Dutch government to develop the national space program to manage and promote. Here, the NSO performs various functions:

  • The NSO represents the Dutch space program and the Dutch companies and research institutions in the aerospace industry to international space agencies such as the European Space Agency ( ESA), the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ). Thus, the NSO represents the Dutch interests in various program committees and commissions of the ESA. In addition, the NSO is understood as a central point of contact for space research and industry in the Netherlands.
  • The NSO advises politicians on issues of space travel. The Netherlands will be represented on the Policy Board of the ESA, the ESA Council by a delegation. The delegation consists of representatives of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The head of the NSO has an advisory role in this delegation relevant questions.
  • The NSO directs the Dutch participation in the technology programs of ESA and creates the framework for the work of the Dutch aerospace industry and research institution. This happens, for example, through the coordination of national research programs and the coordination of the Dutch partner in international research projects.
  • The NSO also always keeps the social use of the knowledge in mind. It works both on the development of aerospace and other technologies, as well as on the use of information and data from space and their transfer to other sectors of the economy. The focus is on the areas of astrophysics, Earth observation and planetary exploration.
  • In addition, the NSO students, teachers and the general public about the history of space sciences, their applications and their development.

Structure

The head of the NSO refunded a steering committee consisting of representatives of the ministries and in the NWO report.

The NSO operates two departments, the Department of Technology & Industry ( Technology & Industry Division ) and the Department of Science & Application (Science & Application Division ). The departments represented the Dutch interests in thematic working groups to ESA technology and science. The Department of Technology & Industry participates in the development and implementation of the Dutch space activities. A particular focus of her work is the development of technology. In addition to her work in the committees of the ESA it is active in various other fora. Among other things, the department represents the Netherlands in the technological space programs under the Seventh Research Framework Programme of the European Union. The department coordinated national projects and the Dutch activities in international projects. For example, they coordinated the TROPOMI project.

The Department of Science and application is concerned with the scientific aspects of space travel and the social and economic exploitation of the results of the space projects. It serves along with the NWO two national research programs:

  • User Support Programme Space Research for research in the fields of earth observation, research in zero gravity and planetary exploration. The project enables Dutch scientists the use of equipment in space.
  • PI Preparatory Program ( PIPP ) is a program designed to train future Dutch scientific project (English principal investigator ) for space projects.
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