CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales) is the national space agency of France. Its task is to propose space policy to the French government and implement it.
The printed circuit board equipped with MOSFET power transistors (metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) shown at the ILA is a component of the mobile asteroid surface scout.
VINCI is Europe's most recent and powerful upper-stage engine. After more than 60 tests under vacuum conditions conducted on ESA test stand P4.1 at DLR’s Lampholdshausen site, VINCI’s first development phase will be complete by the end of 2012.
The flying observatory SOFIA (stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy) is a joint project of DLR and NASA, the US space agency. The German 2.7-metre reflecting telescope at the heart of the observatory is a masterstroke of German engineering.
MORABA, the mobile rocket base of the DLR Institute of Space Operations and Astronaut Training, is participating in the development of the VLM-1 launcher (veículo lançador de microsatélites).
In 2015, the European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission will begin its journey to Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun. After six years in space, the spacecraft will enter orbit around Mercury and spend at least one year after 2022 exploring the planet.
SpaceLiner is a revolutionary concept at the borderline between aviation and space travel: in the future, passengers travelling in this ultrafast glider should be able to cover the distance between Europe and Australia, for example, in no more than 90 minutes.
E-Nose is an electronic gas sensing system for detecting microbial contamination online. DLR's quality and product assurance played a major part in its realization. From January 2013, this electronic nose will be working in the Russian segment of the International Space Station.