Microwaves and Radar Institute

Microwaves and Radar Institute

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alberto Moreira
Director of the Institute, Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling

Microwaves and Radar Institute

The Institute contributes with its know-how and expertise in passive and active microwaves to the development and advancement of ground-based, airborne and spaceborne sensors. It concentrates its research work on the concept and development of new microwave techniques and systems, as well as sensor-specific applications. The Institute‘s strength is the execution of long-term research programmes with applications in remote sensing, aeronautics, traffic monitoring and last but not least reconnaissance and security.

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News

A step closer to mapping the Earth in 3D

13 January 2012
After a year in service, the German Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X, together with its twin satellite, TerraSAR-X, have completely mapped the entire land surface of Earth for the first time. The data is being used to create the world's first single-source, high-precision, 3D digital elevation model of Earth. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) controls both radar satellites, generates the elevation model and is responsible for the scientific use of TanDEM-X data.

Preparations under way for IGARSS 2012

11 Januar 2012
One of the biggest conferences on geoscience and remote sensing will be held this summer in Europe. The deadline for abstract submissions for the July symposium is fast approaching. Jointly organised by the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, the DLR German Aerospace Center and ESA, the 2012 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) is scheduled to be held 22–27 July in Munich, Germany.

TerraSAR-X image of the month - Tents in the desert

03 November 2011
Viewed from above, the US 'Burning Man' festival resembles a spider web. The structure laid out on the site for this festival looks very much like a small town. In October and September 2011, the TerraSAR-X radar satellite, operated by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), acquired some impressive images of the festival and its setup process.

TerraSAR-X image of the month - Gas tank covers all the way from space

02 September 2011
When a series of images acquired with the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X – operated by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) – are combined into a sequence, the result is truly amazing; even gas storage tanks can have an eventful life of their own. The position of their covers reveals the amount of gas in the tanks; as it varies over time, TerraSAR-X gazes down at the bobbing of the gas tank covers in the Italian Porto Marghera.

TerraSAR-X image of the month - Volcanic eruption in Chile

22 July 2011
The crater of the Chilean volcano Puyehue displays a striking, circular outline in this image from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) TerraSAR-X satellite – so this was not the culprit when a volcano in the southern Andes erupted on 4 June 2011.

News Archive

Departments of the Institute

SAR Technology

The department of SAR Technology in engaged in the development of methods and techniques for airborne multimodal SAR systems...

Radar Concepts

The department Radar Concepts develops and analyzes innovative techniques for future radar remote sensing systems and applications.

Satellite SAR Systems

The main objective of the Satellite SAR Systems department is the research and development of spaceborne SAR systems. These systems are used for the acquisition of multifrequency, multi-polarisation and interferometric radar data to process high resolution radar images...

Reconnaissance and Security

The department of Reconnaissance and Security works on topics of remote sensing and reconnaissance...


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IGARSS 2012, Munich


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Scientific Colloquium DLR Oberpfaffenhofen

Institute's History: A Retrospective 1908 - 2008, (33.59 MB)

Status Report 2000 - 2005 (11.12 MB)

Recent Research and Projects (4.01 MB)

TerraSAR-X Brochure (9.06 MB)

TanDEM-X Brochure (8.05 MB)

Tandem-L Brochure - in German (2.98 MB)