German Aerospace Center (DLR)

The Institute of Planetary Research

The Institute of Planetary Research carries out and supports research programs on the internal structure, formation and evolution of the planets, their moons, and asteroids and comets. Techniques employed include remote sensing and in-situ investigations using instruments carried on spacecraft, astronomical observations from the ground, theoretical modeling, and laboratory experiments.

Mission

BepiColombo

After its successful launch in October 2018 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, ESA's BepiColombomission is currently on its nominal 7-year journey to the planet closest to the Sun.

Mission

PLATO

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is a space telescope and ESA’s M3 mission of the Cosmic Vision Programme. It will search for transiting extrasolar planets, down to the size of the Earth, orbiting solar-like stars with orbital periods up to one year.

Mission

JUICE

In 2012 ESA selected the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) as the first L-class mission within the Cosmic Vision Programme. This mission will first explore Jupiter, its magnetosphere and satellites in orbit around Jupiter before going finally into orbit around Ganymede, the largest satellite in the solar system.

News

Loading

Scientific Departments

Planetary Physics

The key activities of the department Planetary Gophysics (PLP) are the theoretical modeling of structure and evolution of planetary bodies, interpretation and inversion of geophysical and geochemical mission data, and instrument development for the measurement of physical properties including related laboratory experiments.

Planetary Geology

The key activities of the department Planetary Gophysics (PLP) are the theoretical modeling of structure and evolution of planetary bodies, interpretation and inversion of geophysical and geochemical mission data, and instrument development for the measurement of physical properties including related laboratory experiments.

Planetary Geodesy

Global shape, topography, gravity field, rotation, and orbital motion are fundamental properties of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. PGD studies these properties in detail, as these provide information about the origin of these bodies, and about the geophysical and surface processes that have shaped them. 

Extrasolar Planets and Atmospheres

Our expertise lies in the detection and precise characterisation of extrasolar planets and in the modelling of planetary atmospheres, with a focus on the conditions that make planets habitable.

Planetary Sensor Systems

The PSS department is an engineering group specialised in the design and development of instruments for scientific planetary exploration mission

Planetary Laboratories

The department ‘Planetary Laboratories’ (PLL) combines a wide and highly complementary range of laboratory setups.