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On June 11, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet will be installing sample cells for a new experiment, FOAM-C, for the Belgian space control centre (B.USOC) on board the International Space Station.

We know the drill. Economic and industrial growth are the cause of rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth’s atmosphere. This being a greenhouse gas, it traps heat from the sun and causes the atmosphere to warm up gradually, wreaking havoc in the fragile Earth system, its flora and fauna. Surprisingly, CO2 has another side effect, a cooling effect. Stop yourself, however, if you think this could compensate for global warming.


Acid rain is over ten times more acidic than pure rainwater, causing damage to structures and buildings, but most importantly to vegetation (e.g. food crops). BIRA-IASB researchers contributed to a study, lead by the ULB and the German FZJ, which finally sheds light on the formation mechanism of formic acid, a substance that has an impact on the acidity of the atmosphere and rainwater.

