In the rocket-shaped SPACEBUZZ ONE of the German Space Agency at DLR, visitors sit on movable seats, put on VR glasses and experience an unforgettable virtual space flight into space. They leave Earth for 15 minutes and orbit it and the International Space Station ISS.
The simulation infrastructure is part of the virtual component of the eMIR test field and includes environmental, traffic and ship information based on artificial intelligence.
DLR will be presenting its maritime research during SAiL in Bremerhaven, on the Science Mile in the fishing harbour.
Topics include: port safety using underwater sensors, marine observation and adaptation of shipping routes using satellite data, DLR' s future research vessel as a floating laboratory for climate-compatible propulsion systems, and the eMIR maritime test field for autonomous shipping.
As a highlight, visitors can experience a 15-minute virtual flight into space with SPACEBUZZ ONE from the German Space Agency at DLR.
Focus: Maritime research, transport, safety, young talent
SAiL will take place in Bremerhaven from 13 to 17 August 2025. This international gathering of windjammer sailing ships is one of the largest maritime events in the world, with ships from over 16 nations taking part. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) will be presenting its maritime research topics on the Science Mile in the fishing harbour, and inviting visitors to take part in a wide range of hands-on activities. One of the highlights is a 15-minute virtual space flight on SPACEBUZZ ONE.
"With its expertise in space, aviation, energy, transport and security research, DLR is making a significant contribution to driving forward the transformation of the maritime industry towards automation, digitalisation and decarbonisation. Monitoring oceans and rivers via satellite remote sensing to ensure safe transport routes on the water is just one of many examples of how space technology supports shipping," says Thoralf Noack, maritime coordinator at DLR.
Virtual space flight in SPACEBUZZ ONE
In the German Space Agency at DLR's rocket-shaped SPACEBUZZ ONE, visitors sit on movable seats, put on VR glasses and experience an unforgettable virtual space flight into space. They leave Earth for 15 minutes and orbit it and the International Space Station ISS. From the perspective of astronauts, they learn a lot about our home planet and about man-made climate change before continuing on to the Moon and finally landing back on Earth. The flight is accompanied by avatars of German ESA astronauts Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer.
ESA reserve astronaut Carmen Possnig will appear in person to give a talk about her astronaut training at SPACEBUZZ ONE on the Science Mile on 14 August 2025. She will also be at the German Emigration Center together with DLR researchers, where she will address the question of how space technology can be transferred and applied to support maritime research. Between 2017 and 2018, Possnig spent 13 months as a research doctor at the Concordia Station in Antarctica, where she was responsible for conducting biomedical and psychosocial research experiments for ESA. She was selected as a member of ESA’s latest astronaut class in November 2022.
Possnig sees parallels between sailing trips and spaceflight: "A confined space, a small crew, a shared mission, the unknown horizon ahead: Whether you are sailing across oceans or flying through space, it is about successfully overcoming challenges, exploring the unknown, coming back with new insights and stories – and inspiring others to set out on their own courageous journeys."
Research vessel for climate-compatible propulsion systems
DLR is currently pressing ahead with the construction of its planned research vessel - a ship to serve as a floating laboratory for climate-compatible propulsion technologies. It was commissioned from the Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven shipyard at the beginning of the year, and the current focus is on joint coordination of the detailed design planning using a computer-assisted 3D model. The next milestone will be the cutting of the first steel plate at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard, which will be followed by the construction of the hull. Once this production step has been completed, the hull will be moved to Bremerhaven for completion and outfitting. Both shipyards belong to the Heinrich Rönner Group.
The ship will be used to test and further develop various propulsion systems, for example based on hydrogen, ammonia, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and batteries. It will be 48 metres long and eleven metres wide, with a maximum capacity of 20 people, and used mainly for one- or multi-day test voyages in the North and Baltic Seas. Once completed, the ship will be based in Kiel. Visitors to the Science Mile at SAiL will be able to view a model of the research vessel.
Underwater technology for maritime situational awareness
Against the backdrop of current world events, safety research for maritime infrastructure is more important than ever. In the MARLIN (Maritime Awareness Realtime Instrumentation Network) project, for example, DLR is working on a real-time situational awareness system for ports. It is designed to help authorities and port operators keep an eye on the situation at all times and take proactive action in the event of an incident.
Information from the water, the air and the land is fed into the situational picture, with various cameras installed at the port or on drones. The individual systems work together to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation. What makes MARLIN special is that autonomous underwater vehicles such as the Seekatze also record the situation beneath the surface - detecting damage to pipelines and data cables or locating lost cargo, for example. The submersible is 3.5 metres long, operates at depths of up to 600 metres, and can be used to create 2D and 3D underwater images. DLR is continuously developing the capabilities of the Seekatze. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) provides a real-time, accurate view of the situation underwater. In an earlier project, the sensor technology collected information about sunken ships and munitions.
Frank Sill Torres, Director of the DLR Institute for the Protection of Maritime Infrastructures, is eagerly awaiting the start of SAiL: "The location of our institute in the fishing port is key for testing state-of-the-art technologies in the field of maritime safety research directly where they are needed. In Bremerhaven, research, the port and the sea come together in a unique way, creating perfect conditions for highly exciting research work. We are delighted to be part of SAiL 2025 and to present key aspects of this fascinating research to interested visitors and engage in exciting discussions."
MARLIN enables near real-time monitoring of critical maritime infrastructure such as port facilities, offshore wind farms and ships. Using state-of-the-art sensor technology and data processing systems, the system provides emergency services with continuous updates on security status. The development of advanced sensor and data processing technologies will enable the presentation of complex information and provision of context-specific recommendations for action.
MARLIN – Situation awareness system for maritime safety
Your consent to the storage of data ('cookies') is required for the playback of this video on Youtube.com. You can view and change your current data storage settings at any time under privacy.
MARLIN – Situation awareness system for maritime safety
MARLIN enables near real-time monitoring of critical maritime infrastructure such as port facilities, offshore wind farms and ships. Using state-of-the-art sensor technology and data processing systems, the system provides emergency services with continuous updates on security status. The development of advanced sensor and data processing technologies will enable the presentation of complex information and provision of context-specific recommendations for action.
DLR is developing new algorithms that extract information about the state of the oceans from radar images taken by various satellites. The satellite data is received several times a day at DLR’s ground station in Neustrelitz. Within minutes, the algorithms calculate information on wind, sea state, sea ice coverage and icebergs from the satellite data and display it digitally for visitors to SAiL.
Radar signals penetrate clouds and darkness, enabling radar satellite images to observe the world's oceans in all weather conditions. This information can be used to adjust shipping routes or optimise offshore construction projects. The algorithms also include ship recognition that can be compared with data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS), making it possible to locate ships that have switched off their AIS signal.
Maritime test field links real boats and simulation
The eMIR (e-Maritime Integrated Reference Platform) test field is helping to make the shipping of tomorrow safer and more efficient. The sea area from Brunsbüttel via Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven, Heligoland to Emden has been equipped with technology for eMIR. The test field offers commercial enterprises, public authorities and research institutes the opportunity to research and develop highly automated assistance systems and concepts for autonomous ships. One example of this is the AMISIA (Advanced Port Maintenance: Intelligent, Sustainable, Innovative and Automated Dredging) project. DLR has collaborated with Niedersachsen Ports to develop concepts for an autonomous dredger.
eMIR consists of two parts: a simulation-based test environment and real hardware at sea. The simulation infrastructure includes artificial intelligence-based environment, traffic and ship simulators. DLR research vessels ‘Josephine’ and ‘Sally’ are part of the real test environment. They serve as sensor platforms but can also be fully remote-controlled. eMIR thus offers an ideal test environment for highly automated driving functions in the maritime sector. On the first day of SAiL, Josephine and a ship bridge simulator will be on display at the Science Mile.
In the AMISIA project (Advanced Port Maintenance: Intelligent, Sustainable, Innovative and Automated Dredging), the DLR Institute of Systems Engineering for Future Mobility has co-developed a concept for an autonomous dredger. This will navigate automatically through the port of Emden and use a recirculation process to keep the silt in suspension so that ships can pass through the port without any problems.
Video: High-tech dredger – innovative port maintenance in the AMISIA project
Your consent to the storage of data ('cookies') is required for the playback of this video on Youtube.com. You can view and change your current data storage settings at any time under privacy.
Video: High-tech dredger – innovative port maintenance in the AMISIA project
In the AMISIA project (Advanced Port Maintenance: Intelligent, Sustainable, Innovative and Automated Dredging), the DLR Institute of Systems Engineering for Future Mobility has co-developed a concept for an autonomous dredger. This will navigate automatically through the port of Emden and use a recirculation process to keep the silt in suspension so that ships can pass through the port without any problems.
A wide range of activities offer visitors of all ages the opportunity to experience DLR's maritime research in a playful way. Not only can they steer a boat through a wind farm and protect it from saboteurs, but visitors can also slip into the role of security personnel and use cosmic radiation to detect smuggled cargo in shipping containers. In an experiment on the hydrogen process chain, visitors will follow the path of hydrogen on a small scale, from electrolysis to transport by ship and pipeline to the launch of a paper rocket.
Events programme
At the German Emigration Centre
Thursday, 14 August, 14:00 CEST
Carmen Possnig, ESA reserve astronaut
Experiences in Antarctica in preparation for space
