Distribution of responsibilities within the Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
TerraSAR-X is a space project that is being implemented as public-private partnership, with significant financial contribution from industry – the first of its kind in Germany.
TerraSAR-X is a space project that is being implemented as a public-private partnership, with significant financial contribution from industry – the first of its kind in Germany. The objective is cooperation between equal partners, in which each provides a balanced contribution in order to satisfy its own requirements.
Under the public-private partnership – or, following its expiry, the continuation agreement with Airbus that has been in force since 2016 – the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) is responsible for setting up and operating the ground segment. Within this partnership, DLR is responsible for the operation of the payload ground segment; covering the infrastructure for satellite control, mission planning, and reception, processing, archiving and distribution of data. DLR is also in charge of the calibration of the instrument, operations and the coordination of scientific utilisation of TerraSAR-X-data.
DLR's tasks and responsibilities
The German Space Agency at DLR in Bonn is the overall coordinator of the project
The DLR German Space Operation Center (GSOC) in Oberpfaffenhofen has developed and operates the 'Mission Operations Segment (MOS)', controlling the satellite through its ground station facility in Weilhei.
The DLR Microwaves and Radar Institute in Oberpfaffenhofen provides the System Engineering and Calibration Segment (SEC) for the operation and the calibration of the radar instrument
The German Remote Sensing Date Center (DFD) and the DLR Remote Sensing Technology Institute jointly developed the TerraSAR-X payload ground segment. This integrates the DFD receiving station in Neustrelitz with the archiving, processing and distribution facilities in Oberpfaffenhofen.
