The ground station established in 1968 at Weilheim by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is the communications link between Earth and satellites in orbit. With its help, it is possible to create a communications link with a satellite when it flies over that allows data to pass either way.
Erica Barkasz is an early riser; her working day starts at six in the morning in the control room of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) ground station at Weilheim in Upper Bavaria.