On April 30, WIA-Europe Leiden organised a visit to TNO. The visit started with an introduction by the Director of TNO Space, Dr. Henri Werij, who gave the group an overview of space activities across  TNO’s  many locations and specializations. He then focused in on local optomechanical instrument development activities in Delft.

Then the group was split into 3 smaller groups, each guided by a TNO manager. We toured the optics labs where TNO experts gave very passionate talks about their current projects.

Specifically, a 3D printed model of the TROPOMI  instrument as delivered for the Sentinel 5 precursor mission was available for viewing – and even touching (under supervision of course! ). Also,  the Nanomefos machine  was on display and members were impressed by its unprecedented optical metrology capabilities. We learned about freeform optics and even the complications in both mirror manufacturing and coatings. Finally, we covered Fiber-Bragg  grating  developments for multi-sensor  fiber optic systems that are extremely stable and able to withstand harsh environments.

The talks were highly technical and attendees enjoyed asking detailed questions. The atmosphere was really friendly and the TNO  team were amazing hosts!

Afterwards there was ample time for a drink as our dinner was waiting for us at ‘t Postkantoor.