In the spotlight
Drones for Work win 2017 ESNC Nederlands challenge 
And the 2017 ESNC Award in the Netherlands Challenge goes to… Drones for Work! The start-up based in Delft had the idea to use GNSS data to position and stabilize their drones. Drones for Work develops a control systems to allow drones to operate in harsh off-shore conditions. The satellite navigation data will help drones avoid being blown more than 10 centimetres off course by sea winds up to 7 kph.
#cometselfie
The European comet chaser, Rosetta, shot this legendary ‘selfie’ on 7 October 2014. In the foreground you can see its Dutch-built solar panels. In the background is the mission’s destination: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. At the time the photo was taken, the distance to the comet surface was just sixteen kilometres. Rosetta had already completed a ten-year journey of more than six billion kilometres.
Satellites for food security
Increased crop yield and improved food security in developing countries. Sustainable use of resources such as water and fertilizer. Improved incomes for poorer farmers.
Satellite data for rainforest conservation
The rainforest in Borneo is disappearing through illegal logging and forest fires, as well as the establishment of plantations. Because of this, the orangutans’ natural habitat is rapidly vanishing. The World Wildlife Fund is encouraging governments, organisations and companies to take action on the basis of satellite data provided by Dutch company SarVision.
Space in the classroom
Space and astronomy appeal enormously to the imagination. Most people want to know more about the stars and planets, spaceflight and our mysterious Universe. For this reason ESA and NSO have developed a special lesson series ruimtevaartindeklas.nl. Margriet van der Laan, a teacher at the Hyperion Lyceum in Amsterdam is an enthusiastic user.