Each of the CASSINI Prize for digital space applications winning applications leverages data and services from the EU Space Programme to detect, monitor and remove plastics and other litter from our oceans, waterways, beaches and coastal areas. CASSINI is the European Commission’s initiative to support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs developing innovative applications and services that […]
10 ways EU Space helps fight global hunger
The world’s population is growing, meaning there’s more mouths to feed. With climate change wreaking havoc on global food supply chains, doing so in a sustainable manner becomes increasingly difficult. That’s why initiatives like the World Food Day are so critical. Celebrated every 16 October, World Food Day puts the spotlight on the importance of […]
European Union launches three new missions in space
Three new In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) missions were launched onboard of the European launcher Vega flight VV23 from the European spaceport in French Guyana, under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. The three missions, six satellites and nine experiments, will allow the test of technologies with a wide variety of application, which are […]
Galileo launches new sensor station in the South Pacific
To make the best use of the Galileo services, users rely on much more than the satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 23.000km. Dedicated facilities such as the Galileo Control Centres (GCCs), sensor and uplink stations are some of the most important components that make up the so-called ‘’Galileo Ground Segment’’ the role […]
Another year of climate extremes for Europe
According to the latest edition of the European State of the Climate Report (ESOTC), 2022 was yet another year of extremes. Not only did Europe see its hottest summer ever recorded, with temperatures reaching 1.4°C above average, much of Europe experienced prolonged and intense heatwaves. Europe’s lakes and seas also saw increasing surface temperatures. While […]
Can we halve the use of pesticides in the EU by 2030?
Pesticides and fertilisers can be important tools in modern farming. When used correctly, fertilisers provide essential nutrients for crop growth, while pesticides can help protect those crops from harmful pests and diseases. The problem is that agriculture has become too dependent on both. Instead of being applied when and where they’re needed, it’s become standard […]
The 5th CASSINI Hackathon is about to start
The global security environment is becoming more contested, complex, and interconnected. As armed conflicts and civil wars re-emerge in the EU’s neighbourhood, new and unconventional security threats have emerged or grown stronger, in an increasingly interconnected world. In the face of increased global instability, the EU needs to take more responsibility for its security and […]
How EU Space helps protect – even restore – Europe’s forests
Forests are a resource that keeps on giving. Not only do they provide shade on a hot sunny day, they’re home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Trees are also a crucial raw material for a number of the products that we use every day, such as the packages made by the pulp […]
EU Space to play a pivotal role in the European Critical Raw Materials Act
If oil and gas were once considered the ‘new gold’, then lithium and rare-earth elements (REE) are the new oil and gas. Whereas oil and gas boomed thanks to the development of the automobile, global trade and the plastics industry, lithium and REE are key to a wide array of high-tech and climate applications, including […]