‘Investing in space strengthens Europe and the Dutch economy’
‘”A more ambitious national space policy is essential,” says Sandor Gaastra, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “With cutting-edge technology, we can make a valuable contribution to a strong, autonomous, and secure Europe, while simultaneously capitalizing on opportunities for the Dutch economy.”.’
What space news stood out for you in 2025?
“Firstly: the government’s response to the Long-Term Space Agenda in February. It emphasizes the importance of space for our society and the challenges facing the Netherlands and Europe. The Long-Term Space Agenda is the policy compass we developed with five ministries, and the entire national government supports it; it is the foundation we can build on in the coming years. Secondly: the NSO Advisory Report for the triennial ESA Ministerial Conference, which was held in Bremen in November. This advisory report urgently calls for a more robust space policy, both for our security and for our economy.”
Why is a more ambitious space policy important right now?
“The geopolitical landscape is shifting. We cannot depend on major powers like the United States and China for our critical space infrastructure. If Europe wants to be strategically autonomous in this area, we must develop our own capabilities. We are doing this with the Galileo navigation system, the Copernicus Earth observation program, and IRIS2, a satellite constellation for independent space communication. This brings economic opportunities for ESA member states, including the Netherlands. By actively participating in European space, Dutch companies can develop valuable knowledge and technology. In that sense, it’s a win-win situation.”
How can the Netherlands best contribute to European autonomy in space?
“By carefully choosing which missions and programs we contribute to and implementing a focused economic policy based on them. In the Netherlands, we have the National Technology Strategy, which focuses on highly productive sectors. With our space policy, we can align with the priorities in this strategy. These are the areas where we, as a country, are truly strong and where we can capitalize economically. We need to ask the following questions: what priorities do we want to place in space? Which companies and sectors are behind this? Do they have sufficient footing? And do we see opportunities for expansion? In short, it boils down to this: don’t try to be excellent at everything, but build on existing knowledge and expertise.”
Can you give an example?
“The Netherlands excels in optical technology: everything related to the conduction and measurement of light. This technology can be used in Earth observation satellites. We demonstrated this, for example, with the world-leading satellite instrument Tropomi, which measures air quality. But it can also be used to develop instruments for laser satellite communication. Furthermore, the Netherlands has a long history of expertise in solar panels, components for launch vehicles, and in developing applications based on satellite data. In short, we possess the knowledge and expertise to strengthen European space research. However, the budget remains a challenge. During the recent ministerial conference of the European Space Agency (ESA), the Netherlands was able to incidentally increase its contribution by €109 million to €453 million. To be honest, our financial contribution to the ESA does not yet align structurally and in the long term with the ambitions set out in the Long-Term Space Agenda. The next cabinet will have to consider this: shouldn’t we add more?”
The societal benefits of space are often indirect and difficult to measure. How can the government then make very concrete policy choices and investment decisions?
“I see this as a core task of the newly established Interdepartmental Space Policy Council (IRR). It consists of all the departments and agencies working on space travel, each translating the benefits into their own domain. For example: when you think of increased agricultural productivity, space travel doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But if you want higher crop yields, you can’t do that without Copernicus satellites. This presents a communication task for the IRR, but also for the NSO. We must make it clear that investing in European space infrastructure is necessary to solve societal challenges here on Earth.”
Is it primarily a matter of building and launching new satellites? Or do we not need to wait for that?
“One of the missions in the Long-Term Space Agenda describes how we can better utilize existing space infrastructure. There’s already a great deal of data available that we as a society can use. I also see a role for artificial intelligence in this. AI can develop models based on satellite data that allow us to map flood risks much more accurately, for example. And if a crisis situation arises, we can respond quickly and effectively based on the latest satellite images.”
How do you see the role of the NSO changing in the coming years, now that space is becoming an increasingly urgent issue?
“Together with the other ministries, we’ve ensured that the NSO is no longer just connected at the operational level, but also strategically. That’s the great added value of the IRR, which also includes the NSO director. The ministries can develop excellent plans. We’re good at that. We then need to maintain a constant dialogue with the NSO to check: is what we’re asking for feasible? And what do we get in return for our investments? Together, we all need to feel a sense of ownership over space. Because it affects not only our economy, but many different parts of our society.”