Netherlands Space Office
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) is a space-exploration
governmental agency
of the Netherlands
.
—the Ministry of Economic Affairs; the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management—along with the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
(NWO), an independent administrative body under the auspices of the Dutch-government Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, signed an agreement in October 2008 for the establishment of the NSO.
It was established as of 1 July 2009 following the merger of the space activities of the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes
(in Dutch language
, Nederlands Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling en Ruimtevaart (NIVR)), which was then disestablished.
(ESA); the United States
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
(JAXA), as well as the central point of contact for the space community within the Netherlands.
The NSO also works to educate students and the general public on the story of spaceflight science, usage and exploration.
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
governmental agency
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
.
Creation
Three Dutch government ministriesMinistry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
—the Ministry of Economic Affairs; the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management—along with the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
The Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek is a scientific research organization in the Netherlands....
(NWO), an independent administrative body under the auspices of the Dutch-government Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, signed an agreement in October 2008 for the establishment of the NSO.
It was established as of 1 July 2009 following the merger of the space activities of the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes
Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes
The Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes was the official space-exploration agency of the Dutch government until 2009....
(in Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Nederlands Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling en Ruimtevaart (NIVR)), which was then disestablished.
Purpose
The NSO was established by the Dutch government to develop and administer the country's space programme. The NSO is the face of the Dutch space community for international space organisations, including the multi-country-member European Space AgencyEuropean Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA); the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
(NASA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
(JAXA), as well as the central point of contact for the space community within the Netherlands.
The NSO also works to educate students and the general public on the story of spaceflight science, usage and exploration.
Administration
The director of the NSO reports to the steering committee of the ministries. In terms of organisation and administration, the NSO falls under SenterNovem, an agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. SenterNovem's purpose is to implement governmental policies on innovation, environment and sustainability.See also
- European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA) - Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyJapan Aerospace Exploration AgencyThe , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
(JAXA) - National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
(NASA) - Netherlands Agency for Aerospace ProgrammesNetherlands Agency for Aerospace ProgrammesThe Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes was the official space-exploration agency of the Dutch government until 2009....
(in Dutch languageDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Nederlands Instituut voor Vliegtuigontwikkeling en Ruimtevaart (NIVR))
External links
- spaceoffice.nl, Netherlands Space Office (NSO) official website (website in Dutch languageDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
; toggle switch to English-languageEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version offered in top bar). Accessed 12 February 2010.