SRON

Research

SRON leads or contributes to the development of space instruments onboard scientific space missions. The satellites SRON helps to build look up at the cosmos and down at Earth. Through these two pillars – astrophysics and Earth observation – researchers seek to gain a better understanding of both the universe and our home planet. Primarily from a fundamental interest in nature, but also to see how humans affect the atmosphere and life on Earth.

Astrophysics

The space instruments developed by SRON observe objects and phenomena that can only be properly studied from space:

• Celestial bodies with low temperatures and distant objects that are visible in infrared radiation. Examples include early galaxies and clouds in which stars and planets form.
• Celestial bodies with high temperatures or high mass densities that mainly emit high-energy radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, or gravitational waves. Examples include black holes and exploding stars.
• Planets outside our solar system: exoplanets.

Earth observation

SRON’s space instruments also study our home planet: its climate, air quality and the impact of these factors on biodiversity. For example, satellites monitor methane leaks from landfill sites and oil and gas installations, carbon monoxide released during forest fires, and the impact of aerosols on the climate.