Technician Mario Jünemann prepares the SHEFEX II model for its test in the high-enthalpy wind tunnel at Göttingen. This involves incorporating 50 pressure sensors and 60 thermocouple elements to the projectile. During this test, thousands of data values are recorded within a thousandth of a second.
Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).
The DLR robots, Space Justin is capable of performing complex repair tasks in orbit - it receives its commands from the operator on the ground. The DLR robots will relieve future astronauts in dangerous missions in space.
Scientists at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have recorded and analysed the signals from the new GPS-generation IFF satellite with the 30-metre German Space Operations (Deutsch Space Operations Centre GSOC) antenna in Weilheim.
The data for these digital computer models is derived from wind tunnel tests in which the main physical properties of the martian atmosphere are simulated. For example, the atmosphere of Mars contains a higher concentration of particulate matter than the atmosphere of Earth, meaning that greater resistance to erosion is required.
As part of the development of Ariane 5’s main engine, Volvo Aero and its partners Snecma and EADS Astrium developed a new engine nozzle, called the Vulcain 2+ NE Demonstrator or NE-X, shown in the image. The innovative sandwich construction of the nozzle was successfully tested on the P5 test stand at the DLR facilities in Lampoldshausen.
DLR has operated a near-polar ground station on the O'Higgins peninsula in Antarctica for several years, and has pioneered the construction and operation of ground stations in the Antarctic. The TanDEM-X mission will use a global network of more than 10 ground stations.
The LaserCUSING process involves the fusion of single-component metallic powders using a laser, allowing components to be built up layer by layer from almost any metallic material using 3D computer generated data. The laser beam locally fuses a single-powder material layer by layer. The laser’s rapid movement means the workpiece is scarcely heated, the melt cools down quickly and the possibilities of component distortion are minimized. The parts made from the powder cannot be distinguished from a solid piece of metal.
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Zero-gravity experiments, exploring other planets and observing the terrestrial environment from outer space are among the many space research activities of DLR.
Eminent achievements in science and technology increasingly determine the economic, political and cultural importance of a country. They play a crucial part in attracting top scientists and industrial investments to a particular location. Acting on a mandate from the Federal Government, the DLR Space Administration promotes these objectives under the German Space Program. Thanks to its excellent engineers and scientists, Germany was able to implement more than 100 space missions both nationally and within the framework of international cooperation.
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is involved in important national and international missions, exploitation and exploration of outer space and research on the effect of weightlessness on life. Our mission pages provide an overview of the main areas of focus and highlights.