Projects: SPACE

The NeT pioneer project, funded by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), is driving forward the development and implementation of digitized, automated, and standardized testing capabilities. With the increasing commercialization of spaceflight, the advanced automation of tests, operational infrastructures, and processes is a key factor for the NewSpace sector. The Fraunhofer Institutes EMI, IIS, INT, IOF, IPM, ISC, and our business unit SPACE are involved in the project. 

Resource extraction on the moon: 

In collaboration with the Institute of Space Systems (IRAS) at the Technical University of Braunschweig, the Fraunhofer IST is working on a process for extracting pure elements from lunar regolith taking into account the conditions prevailing on the moon.

The Fraunhofer Institutes INT and IAF and Fraunhofer AVIATION & SPACE, together with an international consortium of medium-sized space companies and start-ups, have won the 1.4 million euro tender for the preparatory study of an independent European satellite network.

With the HYPERSPACE research project, researchers from Europe and Canada want to jointly create the basis for an intercontinental network for quantum communication. Within the framework of the project, the distribution of entangled photons via satellite will be investigated.

The research project is coordinated by Fraunhofer IOF in Jena.

Experts at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS are developing one of the telescope's three main components, a retractable optical bench, for the European Space Agency's (ESA) ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High-Energy Astrophysics) mirror telescope. The highlight: Particularly efficient and resource-saving processes such as laser cladding and additive manufacturing are used in the production.

The LisR (Longwave Infrared sensing DemonstratoR) measuring instrument has been on board the ISS since February 2022. LisR measures the water requirements of agricultural crops and lays the foundation for a future satellite constellation that will make it possible to measure the land surface temperature of our Earth on a daily basis and thus optimize the use of water in agriculture.

The TIRA space observation radar has two radar systems: a high-precision target tracking radar that can track objects in space and an imaging radar that produces high-resolution images with the support of the target tracking radar. A key core component of TIRA is its 34m antenna, which provides high sensitivity.

The GESTRA (German Experimental Surveillance and Tracking Radar) space surveillance radar operates in the microwave range and explores the low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 300 to 3000 kilometers. The radar system can detect objects in space, such as satellites, spacecraft or space debris, and thus protect, for example, space systems or the International Space Station ISS from a collision with debris particles by providing timely warning.

The ESA mission JUICE started on 14.04.23 with the goal to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. On board the spacecraft is the measuring instrument GALA, which was developed by Fraunhofer IOF and HENSOLDT Optronics. It will use laser pulses to measure the surface of the Earth-like moon Ganymede. GALA will be the first "deep space laser altimeter" to be deployed at a distance of approximately one billion km from Earth.

At Fraunhofer IOF, the prototype of an efficient and space-qualified entangled photon source for quantum communication was developed as part of a project funded by the European Space Agency. Special laser soldering and bonding technologies were used to fix the very sensitive alignment states of the optical components permanently and in a manner suitable for space travel.

To protect biodiversity, Fraunhofer IIS and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) have joined forces in the GAIA-Sat-IoT project. The goal is to develop camera tags equipped with sensor-based AI and satellite-based IoT communication, which will be used for bird and wildlife tagging.

James Webb is the largest and most powerful space telescope to date and provides groundbreaking insights into our universe. To fulfill its research mission, there are a total of four instruments on board. Two of them were contributed (proportionally) by ESA. Of these, the "Mid InfraRed Instrument" (MIRI) is equipped with mirrors manufactured and coated at the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena.

ERNST is the first small satellite to support military tasks in Germany, developed by Fraunhofer EMI. It is intended to demonstrate the potential of this class of satellites for the Bundeswehr. Its main payload is an infrared camera for detecting rocket launches. Together with Fraunhofer IOSB, the data obtained will be used to demonstrate the detection concept and verify numerical simulations. Another payload is a beam detector from Fraunhofer INT.

EnMAP is the first hyperspectral satellite developed and built in Germany. It analyzes our environment from space and is intended to make visible not only the consequences of climate change but also potential natural hazards. A total of eleven mirrors as well as various optical layers for telescope and spectrometer optics were manufactured for this purpose at the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena.

The Franco-German satellite MERLIN shall be launched to study methane emissions on Earth. On board is a LIDAR laser system based on the Platform FULAS (Future Laser System) that works precisely under extreme operating conditions and even on the dark side of the earth lacking solar radiation. The technology for this and the FULAS Platform have been developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen.

On board the satellite are the Fraunhofer On-Board Precessor from Fraunhofer IIS and the Radiation Sensor (FORS) from Fraunhofer INT. The FOBP developed at Fraunhofer IIS is able to process the data received on board the satellite before it is transmitted to Earth. It can also be reconfigured from Earth and thus adapted to new communication standards at any time. It therefore also serves as a test environment for new satellite communication systems.