Infrastructure

The Space Operations and Astronaut Training institution operates large-scale facilities at the Oberpfaffenhofen, Weilheim and Cologne sites. These include infrastructure for mission operations as well as infrastructure for research projects.

Columbus Control Center (Col-CC)

The Columbus Control Center (Col-CC) is part of the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) at DLR. It is operated by the Integrated Team@Col-CC together with the European Space Agency ESA, which is the international partner in the ISS project. From here, about 75 scientists and engineers oversee European activities on the International Space Station (ISS). They are the direct link to space.

Satellite Control Center (SCC)

There are various control rooms at GSOC in Oberpfaffenhofen for the operation of satellite missions. The two largest, K1 and K2, are visible from the "visitors' bridge". Other slightly smaller control rooms are set up for geostationary communication satellites, e.g. K6 for the operation of the EDRS payload or the regular operations of the SatCOMBw mission, which are carried out in separate control rooms.

Lander Control Center (LCC)

The Lander Control Center (LCC) in Cologne is used for the operations of extraterrestrial lander missions. In the past, the Philae (landing on a comet), MASCOT (landing on the asteroid Ryugu) and InSight (lander on Mars) missions were carried out here. The MMX mission (rover on the Mars moon Phobos) is currently being prepared.

Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC)

In Deutschland ist das Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC) im DLR in Köln als nationales Nutzerzentrum beteiligt. Die Schwerpunkte sind hier bio- und materialwissenschaftliche Forschung unter Schwerelosigkeit.

Human Exploration Control Center (HECC)

The Human Exploration Control Center (HECC) is integrated into the German Space Operations Center (GSOC). It has been planned since 2021 and will be developed from the Columbus Control Center (Col-CC).

LUNA Analog Facility

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are jointly establishing a fundamental facility for the preparation of future human and robotic missions to the Moon at the Cologne site.

European Proximity Operations Simulator (EPOS)

DLR scientists have developed the EPOS (European Proximity Operations Simulator) test facility in Oberpfaffenhofen. It can be used to capture, drive and control inoperative satellites.

Ground Station Weilheim (ZDBS)

In order to be able to communicate with spacecraft, antenna systems are needed. The DLR ground station in Weilheim, 60 kilometres south-west of Munich, was established in 1969 (start of construction November 1967) and is one of the links between Earth and its orbiting satellites.