DLR at a glance

Institutes and facilities at a glance, Large-scale research facilities, Missions and projects, Organisation

News

Which will survive? A microorganism zoo in the stratosphere

January 24, 2020
In September 2019, astrobiologists from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) sent an entire 'zoo' of microorganisms such as bacteria and moulds on a nine-hour journey up to 30 kilometres above Earth.
Clouds as a factor influencing the climate – EUREC4A field campaign aims to solve one of the great mysteries of climate science

January 16, 2020
The almost six-week-long EUREC⁴A (Elucidating the role of clouds-circulation coupling in climate) field campaign will begin on 20 January 2020. The aim is to test theories about the role of clouds and convection in climate change by conducting comprehensive measurements in the atmosphere and ocean.
Farewell to the Eu:CROPIS mission

January 13, 2020
The experimentation phase on board the Eu:CROPIS satellite developed by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) came to an end on 31 December 2019. The compact satellite has been in an orbit around Earth that passes over the north and south poles for over one year.
Impressive cloud formations over Mars' northern polar ice cap

January 13, 2020
These images, which were acquired by the HRSC instrument, show clouds of dust over our planetary neighbour’s northern polar ice cap. Such observations of active atmospheric processes at the Martian poles are rarely possible, and thus of great interest to scientists.
The biplanes constructed by Lilienthal and the Wright brothers fly together for the first time

December 20, 2019
For the first time, replicas of two of the most influential aircraft from the early days of aviation have flown together. Between 14 and 16 December 2019, Otto Lilienthal's 'Big Biplane' from 1895 and the Wright glider from 1902 were together during a demonstration at Kitty Hawk in the USA.
DLR phantoms undergo fit check in NASA’s Orion space capsule

December 20, 2019
The intensity of space radiation is much greater outside Earth's protective magnetic field. This causes problems for the human body and represents a challenge for future crewed space missions to the Moon and Mars.
The DFG, DLR and the Helmholtz Association enable cutting-edge research for sustainable aviation

December 16, 2019
The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG) is funding a new research group that will be dedicated to investigating open issues relating to the complex aerodynamics of aircraft at transonic speeds, under the scientific direction of the University of Stuttgart.
CHEOPS space telescope to investigate extrasolar planets

December 16, 2019
On 17 December 2019 at 05:54 local time (09:54 CET), the European Space Agency (ESA) CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS) space telescope is scheduled to lift off from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on board a Soyuz launcher.
Development of the Patagonian Ice Fields reveals the enormous complexity of physical interactions

December 10, 2019
The glaciers and ice fields in the South American region of Patagonia have been in retreat since the Little Ice Age between the early 14th century and the mid-19th century. In recent decades, the loss of ice masses associated with tropospheric warming has accelerated.
CIMON-2 is on its way to the ISS

December 5, 2019
A new Crew Interactive MObile companioN (CIMON) is on its way the International Space Station (ISS). On 5 December 2019 at 18:29 CET (12:29 local time) the US SpaceX CRS-19 mission lifted off from the spaceport at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
IntegriCom wins the Galileo Masters DLR Special Prize

December 5, 2019
The winner of DLR's challenge in the 2019 Galileo Masters competition for innovative satellite navigation concepts is the Dutch company IntegriCom and its founder, Bastiaan Ober.
UV-Bodyguard by ajuma – sophisticated technology to prevent sunburn

December 5, 2019
The Sun is important for life, but too much Sun exposure leads to sunburn and an increased risk of skin cancer. Annette Barth and Julian Meyer-Arnek have a young daughter who likes to play outside in the sunshine. This led the couple to start their own company, ajuma GmbH, and develop the UV-Bodyguard for her and all those who love the great outdoors, no matter their age.
National Research Council Canada visits DLR

December 5, 2019
Since 2018, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the National Research Council Canada (NRC) have been conducting research and development activities together through Atlantik-Brücke e.V.. Future scientific topics such as spaceflight, digital technologies, energy and the environment play a major role in this partnership.
DLRmagazine 163 – Metropolitan transformer

December 4, 2019
Mobile in town with the Peoplemover? The DLR research platform shows what tomorrow's vehicles could look like. The concept for a small city car is featured on the cover of the December issue. You'll also read about the Arctic expedition MOSAiC, the SouthTRAC mission of the atmospheric research aircraft HALO and sustainability at DLR.
GESTRA space radar passes its first test

November 29, 2019
A new era in space observation has begun. The German Experimental Space Surveillance and Tracking Radar (GESTRA) system, which has been developed and constructed by the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR) on behalf of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Space Administration, received its first signals reflected by objects in space on 27 November 2019.
Germany invests 3.3 billion euro in European space exploration and becomes ESA’s largest contributor

November 28, 2019
The German delegation at the European Space Agency (ESA) Council Meeting at Ministerial Level, ‘Space19+’, was headed by the Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, Thomas Jarzombek, who is a member of the Federal Parliament. He was accompanied and supported by representatives from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie; BMWi) and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur; BMVI). Walther Pelzer, German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Executive Board member responsible for the Space Administration, also participated in the negotiations. Together with his team from the Space Administration in Bonn, Pelzer prepared working-level German position papers for the meeting in consultation with Federal Government officials.
Electric aircraft – novel configurations open up new possibilities

November 26, 2019
Environmentally friendly, quiet, safe and cost-effective – European aeronautics research is focusing on these objectives in view of increasing air traffic. The development of electric propulsion systems will play a key role in these efforts.
An astronaut controls a rover on Earth

November 25, 2019
The ISS telerobotics experiment Analog-1 was conducted on 25 November 2019, using DLR robotics technology. Astronaut Luca Parmitano controlled the European Space Agency (ESA) ‘Interact’ rover from the International Space Station (ISS).
Glaciers as landscape sculptors – the mesas of Deuteronilus Mensae

November 21, 2019
During ice ages on Earth, the retreating ice sheets greatly altered the landscape on the continents, typically creating moraines or ice age lakes. Glaciers and ice ages also shaped the landscape on Mars. A particularly impressive example is the Deuteronilus Mensae region, as shown in images acquired by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) operated by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft.
Super-efficient wings take off

November 19, 2019
In cooperation with other institutions, researchers from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have succeeded in developing new technologies for lighter yet extremely stable wings.
All news

DLR at a glance

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Facts and figures

Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology: number of employees (2018)

56,306

362
Female

56,306

56
Male

56,306

306

Facts / Transport

Transport – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

19,42,17

78
Transport systems – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

19,42,17

19
Rail transport – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

19,42,17

42
Road traffic – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

19,42,17

17

Facts / Aeronautics

Aeronautics – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

162,47,48,20

277
Fixed-wing aircraft research – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

162,47,48,20

162
Propulsion systems – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

162,47,48,20

47
Air Traffic Management and Flight Experiments – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

162,47,48,20

48
Rotary-wing aircraft research – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

162,47,48,20

20

Facts / Space

Space – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

1302
Earth observation – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

1017
Space research – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

35
Research under space conditions – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

31
Space transport – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

86
Space systems technology (incl. robotics) – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

83
Communications and navigation – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

15
Space robotic – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

1017,35,31,86,83,15,35

35

More

DLR

Which will survive? A microorganism zoo in the stratosphere

Clouds as a factor influencing the climate – EUREC4A field campaign aims to solve one of the great mysteries of climate science

Farewell to the Eu:CROPIS mission

Impressive cloud formations over Mars' northern polar ice cap

The biplanes constructed by Lilienthal and the Wright brothers fly together for the first time

DLR phantoms undergo fit check in NASA’s Orion space capsule

The DFG, DLR and the Helmholtz Association enable cutting-edge research for sustainable aviation

CHEOPS space telescope to investigate extrasolar planets

Development of the Patagonian Ice Fields reveals the enormous complexity of physical interactions

CIMON-2 is on its way to the ISS

IntegriCom wins the Galileo Masters DLR Special Prize

UV-Bodyguard by ajuma – sophisticated technology to prevent sunburn

National Research Council Canada visits DLR

DLRmagazine 163 – Metropolitan transformer

GESTRA space radar passes its first test

Germany invests 3.3 billion euro in European space exploration and becomes ESA’s largest contributor

Electric aircraft – novel configurations open up new possibilities

An astronaut controls a rover on Earth

Glaciers as landscape sculptors – the mesas of Deuteronilus Mensae

Super-efficient wings take off

Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology: number of employees (2018)

Transport – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

Aeronautics – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

Space – Revenues 2018 (Data in million euro)

Main menu

Pascale Ehrenfreund takes office as President of the IAF

Space – accessibility, diplomacy and cooperation

Research into climate-neutral air transport

Light-dark shadows in the Martian highlands

The DLR delegation during a visit to the JAXA Tsukuba Space Centre on 31 July 2019

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and DLR welcome European policy-makers to Brussels

DLR strengthens Germany as a technology location with seven new institutes

DLR and ONERA – joint research into AI for the aerospace sector

A rover for Phobos and Deimos

eROSITA – the hunt for Dark Energy begins

DLR at the Paris Air Show 2019

We are DLR!

Global Conference on Space in Emerging Countries

The DLR Center for Lightweight-Production-Technology celebrates 10 years of research

EU Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska visits DLR

New test stand for Ariane 6 upper stage at DLR Lampoldshausen

DLR in 2019 – Research for the Energy Transition, environment-friendly aviation and a greater understanding of the Universe

High-tech support for humanitarian aid

Consul General of India Sugandh Rajaram visits DLR

Farewell to 2018 - A successful DLR year comes to an end