Overview
The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) is Germany's national aerospace and energy research centre. Germany is ESA's largest single contributor. DLR operates major research facilities and contributes instruments and expertise to ESA and bilateral missions worldwide.
€4.2B
Budget (Total)
30+
Research Centres
1969
Founded
Key Activities
Earth Observation: TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X radar pair produced the most accurate global elevation model (12 m). EnMAP hyperspectral mission launched 2022.
Space Robotics: World leader — robotic arms and instruments for ESA and ISS missions.
Planetary Science: MASCOT lander on asteroid Ryugu (Hayabusa2), HP³ instrument on Mars InSight.
Key Facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Cologne |
| Sites | 30+ across Germany |