Technological advances leading to increasingly sophisticated telescopes and spacecraft underlie our increasing understanding of the universe and the space around us, and lead to its increasing usefulness to humanity. A world without weather and communication satellites and GPS is almost inconceivable. To further penetrate the secrets of nature and possibly even move from exploration to exploitation of the solar system, the development and application of the relevant technologies must be vigorously pursued. The spin-off of this kind of technology development has repercussions all over society. The Netherlands can make important contributions to these international developments. Dutch technological research institutes in astronomy and space research are very prominent internationally, especially given their relatively small size.
Connecting character
Exploration of the solar system requires research in and coordination between very diverse disciplines and technologies. Innovative telescopes require new technology, which also proves deployable elsewhere. Technology development for space research and space travel is highly innovative because of the extreme conditions prevailing in space, and the extreme reliability and lifespan requirements for space instruments. In the past, innovations with social and economic impact have been realised from space ambitions. Spin-offs with potential for society and Dutch industry can also be expected for the future.
