NSO (Netherlands Space Office)

The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) is the space agency of the Dutch national government, established on 1 July 2009 following the merger of the space activities of the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes (NIVR) with related space efforts of KNMI and SRON. NSO acts as the central point of contact for space activities in the Netherlands, connecting societal challenges with space-based capabilities and directing the development of Dutch knowledge, capacity, and international collaboration in the space domain.

NSO represents the Netherlands in international space forums including the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union, and bilateral partnerships with other space agencies. It provides strategic advisory services to the Dutch government on space policy, stimulates innovation and business incubation within the national space sector, and promotes the utilization of satellite data across government, science, and industry.

Beyond policy and funding, NSO supports education and public outreach through programs such as ESERO, facilitates collaborative initiatives like GEO Netherlands and NL Space, and contributes to space surveillance and tracking policy development. In March 2026 the organization was renamed the Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA), continuing its mission under a new identity while retaining its role as the Netherlands' national space agency.