Netherlands Astronomy Conference 2026

We present our ongoing development of radio astronomy instrumentation and the science drivers behind it. Two examples of our work include L‑FIRE (Low‑Frequency Interferometric Radio Explorer), a concept for a distributed radio telescope in low Earth orbit, and contributions to the DEX (Dark Ages Explorer) lunar radio telescope concept. We analyse how our targeted science cases shape the...

The discovery of gravitational waves has transformed astrophysics, enabling the study of the Universe in a fundamentally new way. The next major breakthrough is expected with the launch of the European Space Agency’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) in the mid-2030s. By opening the millihertz gravitational-wave window, LISA will access a rich population of astrophysical and...

Unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR) from large Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations poses a growing threat to radio astronomy. First identified with the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), this weak but persistent emission from onboard electronics can be broadband and difficult to mitigate, yet is strong enough to contaminate sensitive observations.

Follow-up measurements with other...