TU Delft nieuws

Do mudflows and rock avalanches behave the same at lower gravity on Mars as here on Earth? To answer that question, earth scientist Dr Lonneke Roelofs of Utrecht University is conducting her research aboard the flying laboratory PH-LAB, TU Delft's research and education aircraft. A globally unique experiment that can take place thanks to cooperation within the Expertise Network Planetary Research.

Dr. Stéphanie Cazaux has received an ERC Advanced Grant to study the interaction between the moons’ oceans and their icy surface to identify potential access pathways to these oceans and assess what surface observations can reveal about the oceans’ composition and physical conditions.

Marina Barahona, a PhD candidate at TU Delft’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious Amelia Earhart Fellowship. Her work focuses on innovative flow control strategies to enable cleaner, hydrogen-powered flight. The $10,000 grant will support her academic development during a research stay abroad.

On Friday, May 30, 2025, Professor Karel Wakker passed away at the age of 81. Prof. Wakker was Professor Emeritus of Space Technology, Professor Emeritus of Astrodynamics and Geodynamics and former Rector Magnificus of Delft University of Technology.

Margot Winters has won the Heinz Stoewer Space Award 2025 for her MSc thesis “The FLARE Suit: Development of a Space Radiation Shielding Vest for Astronauts,” with which she graduated cum laude, the highest distinction at TU Delft. Her research was supervised by Dr Alessandra Menicucci.

Can rainbows be found in space? TU Delft student Niels Rubbrecht explored this question in his Master’s thesis and observed parallel, colour-varying stripes completely unlike the optical phenomena typically seen on Earth. He won first prize at the 21st Pegasus Student Conference 2025 with it.

Analysing gravity data collected by spacecraft orbiting the moon reveals groundbreaking insights about the Moon’s deep internal structure without having to land on the surface. The study offers evidence that a warmer interior on the Moon’s near side compared to the far side created the conditions for volcanic activity, that may have lasted far longer than expected. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Nature by researchers from NASA, University of Arizona, University of California and TU Delft.

TU Delft is one of the project partners in ICEFlight (Innovative Cryogenic Electric Flight), a project aiming to contribute to the development of hydrogen-powered flight. The project was launched by Airbus, through its Tech Hub in the Netherlands and together with its innovation arm Airbus UpNext and local partners. The initiative, under administration of Dutch public-private programme “Luchtvaart in Transitie” (LiT) will focus on accelerating the maturation of critical cryogenic technologies.

AeroDelft, a fully student-run and student-owned non-profit foundation based in Delft, has become the first student team in the world to design, build, and test an electric aircraft propulsion system (powertrain) using liquid hydrogen as its energy source. The successful test was conducted in collaboration with TNO at their liquid hydrogen facility in Ypenburg, The Hague. It marks a significant milestone in the team’s mission to prove and promote liquid hydrogen as a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional aviation fuels.

On 25 April the Minister for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Falko Mohrs, visited the faculty, bringing a delegation of members of parliament and representatives from government, universities and research institutes. As part of the visit Dean Henri Werij and Professor Peter Hecker, the Vice President Research at Braunschweig University signed an agreement to renew and strengthen the partnership between the two universities. TU Delft and Braunschweig will continue to join forces in large innovation programmes and work together on research in the area of sustainable aviation. The two universities have now also agreed to explore the options for expanding the topics of collaboration to include sustainable and multimodal transport.

A team of scientists and students from TU Delft has taken first place at the A2RL Drone Championship in Abu Dhabi - an international race that pushes the limits of physical artificial intelligence, challenging teams to fly fully autonomous drones using only a single camera.

Stéphanie Cazaux and Niels Ligterink have received funding from NWO under the National Science Agenda (NWA) for their research project "The Search for Life on Icy Moons." This project, part of NWA Route 15: Origins of Life – on Earth and in the Universe, focuses on how to sample material from the plumes escaping Enceladus' subsurface ocean. The funding will support the hiring of a postdoctoral researcher.

In March TU Delft conducted unique measurements with a high percentage of (more) sustainable aviation fuel. During education flights for third-year students with teaching and research aircraft PH-LAB, there was a mixture in the tank of regular kerosine with 38% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Edgar Steenstra from TU Delft has been awarded the Vening Meinesz Prize for Earth and Environmental Sciences. He receives the €10,000 prize for his innovative research on the formation and evolution of planets, particularly Venus and the Moon, as well as his role in international planetary missions. The award was presented on 20 March 2025 during the 21st NWO NAC in Noordwijkerhout.

New geological data has given more insight into the rate and magnitude of global sea level rise following the last ice age, about 11,700 years ago. In two phases, sea levels rose around 1 metre per century. This information is of great importance to understand the impact global warming has had on the ice caps and on sea level rise. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Nature by researchers from Deltares, Delft University of Technology, and others.

On 5 March the partners in the Airbus MultiFunctional Fuselage Demonstrator project received their JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 for ‘Aerospace Parts’ at the JEC World show in Paris. On behalf of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering TU Delft and SAM XL Aydin van den Bergh and Hein Koelman were part of this celebration of the most successful and innovative collaborative projects in the Composites industry.

TU Delft is expanding its space research capabilities with the launch of four new and upgraded Space Engineering laboratories. These state-of-the-art facilities will provide researchers, students, and industry partners with advanced tools to push the boundaries of space exploration, planetary science, and satellite technology.