EU Commissioner visits DLR

“We are delighted that the EU Commissioner has gained a personal impression of our space activities: DLR, the largest space research facility in Europe, is an important partner of the EU programs Copernicus, Galileo and the Research Framework Program,” emphasized Pascale Ehrenfreund, Chair of the DLR Board.

The politician visited the Robotics and Mechatronics Center (RMC). The RMC unites the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, the Institute of System Dynamics and Control and the Institute of Optical Sensor Systems (Berlin). The RMC is one of the largest and most successful facilities of its kind in Europe. The long-term goal of robotics activities has always been based on the idea of liberating people from dangerous tasks and supporting them.

Elżbieta Bieńkowska was particularly interested in the Center for Satellite-based Crisis Information (ZKI) at the Earth Observation Center (EOC). The EOC conducts research in the field of remote sensing. EOC scientists are working on answers to urgent questions of society in the areas of environment and climate, mobility and planning, prevention and management of natural disasters and civil security. The EOC includes the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) and the Remote Sensing Technology Institute (IMF) with locations in Oberpfaffenhofen, Neustrelitz and Berlin-Adlershof and the Maritime Safety and Security Lab in Bremen. The ZKI acquires and analyzes earth observation data such as satellite, aerial and other geo-data. Scientists use this information to generate up-to-date position information before, during or after catastrophic and crisis situations as well as during major planned events. The national and international users of the ZKI include political decision-makers, situation centers and aid organizations.

Next up on the program was the Microwaves and Radar Institute, which designs and continuously develops ground, airborne and satellite-based sensors used in remote sensing. One of the focal points of the scientists there is the conception and realization of high-resolution imaging radar systems, based on the principle of synthetic aperture radar (SAR). One highlight of their work is the TanDEM-X-Mission, consisting of two radar satellites in formation flight. With data from this mission, a new Earth topography was created in 2016, which is 30 times more accurate than other global datasets. Furthermore, the mission proposal Tandem-L was presented, which can map the entire surface of the earth up to twice a week and enables the observation of dynamic processes on the earth’s surface in previously unattained quality and resolution.

Then the politician visited the Institute of Communications and Navigation. There, great emphasis is put on safety-critical applications, which require very reliable position and time determination in the field of satellite navigation, as well as on locating ability in street canyons and buildings.