About the author

Manfred Gottwald

Manfred Gottwald was affiliated with DLR since 1991. In September 2018 he retired but still pursues remote sensing work, particularly by using data from the TanDEM-X mission for studying impact craters.

His first years at DLR he had spent at the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) working for Columbus. Then he joined the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) and, after it had been restructured, continued at the Remote Sensing Technology Institute until the end of his career. There he took care about numerous atmospheric remote sensing missions. His prime task was SCIAMACHY on ENVISAT, ESA’s large Earth observation satellite of the last decade. For SCIAMACHY he was responsible for developing and executing operations of this complex instrument for spaceborne atmospheric sounding which allowed sensing the Earth’s atmosphere with unprecedented flexibility.  

The goal of this work was to better understand the state of the atmosphere of our home planet. In addition, he represented DLR at international boards for a coordinated utilization of Earth observation satellites for polar science, another important field in times of global climate change. In this framework he also dealt with radar remote sensing. This methodology played a major role when, after the end of the ENVISAT mission in 2012, he turned to the field of terrestrial impact craters where he primarily exploited the unique TanDEM-X digital elevation model.

Further Blogs: The TIDEx Campaign on Darwin Glacier

Posts from Manfred Gottwald

Space | 22. March 2021

Using principles from painting – creating 3D-effect satellite images in true colour

How can an impression of three-dimensionality be created using a two-dimensional medium? In art, this question arose centuries ago. Certain painting techniques have since evolved to simulate effects of light and shadow, creating a 3D effect for the viewer. Such effects are referred to as trompe-l'œil – they 'deceive the eye'. read more

Space | 12. December 2018

TanDEM-X image of Hiawatha Glacier

Glaciers abound on Greenland’s coastline; fed by the Greenland ice sheet, they flow towards the Arctic Ocean. In the northwest, Hiawatha Glacier is located at 78.8 degrees north, 67 degrees west. It emerges from a semi-circular lobe at the ice sheet margin and forms a narrow tongue with a length of 10 kilometres extending onto the ice-free Inglefield Land. Hiawatha Glacier’s northern neighbour, the large Humboldt Glacier, is much more widely known. The front of the Humboldt Glacier is over 100 kilometres wide where it flows into the Nares Strait. The TanDEM-X image shows the region around Hiawatha Glacier. read more