Technical Tours

Friday, July 27, 09:00 - 15:30 hours

Two Technical Tours are offered

Both centers are located near Munich. A bus service starting from ICM will be organized. Busses will depart at 09:00 hours. Arrival at the ICM is planned for about 15:30 hours. For each tour only a limited number of 35 participants can be accepted, so please register early. Please, keep your passport with you for getting a visitor batch at the entrance of both centers. More information and contents about the tours will follow.

DLR is Germany's national research center for space and aeronautics. Its extensive research and development work in aeronautics, space, transportation, energy, defense and security research is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. The center has 32 institutes and facilities at 16 locations in Germany. As Germany's Space Agency, the German federal government has given DLR responsibility for the forward planning and implementation of the German space program as well as international representation of Germany's interests.

Together with the site at Koeln, the DLR site at Oberpfaffenhofen is one of Germany's largest research centers. Located near Munich, the site is home to eight scientific institutes and currently employs approximately 1500 people. The research center's main fields of activity include participating in space missions, climate research, research and development in the field of Earth observation, developing navigation systems and advanced robotics development. On the tour through the site the Microwaves and Radar Institute (HR), see left photo bottom, and the Earth Observation Center (EOC) will give insight in their major fields of remote sensing activities. Visits of aircraft facilities as well as of the German Space Operations Center (GSOC), photo left on the top, are part of the tour.

Astrium is the leading space company in Europe. More than 18.000 employees in Europe are developing, producing, and operating space systems for any kind of application. Key European countries are Germany, France, UK, Spain and The Netherlands.

Astrium in Ottobrunn (photo right, TerraSAR-X at a testing facility) is one of the main sites for the production of space equipment and for activities in the area of telecommunication services. 900 employees are developing and producing components and equipment for satellite electronics, propulsion for satellites and launchers, solar arrays for space systems as well as optical instruments for Earth observation and science satellites. The manufacturing of thrust chambers for European launchers is located here. Several teams are managing the operations and service of telecommunication systems mainly for institutional customers, e.g. for military communication systems and for the European data relay satellite system. The Ottobrunn site has all necessary facilities for all phases of space equipment or systems production, including clean rooms and test areas.