Topics & Missions

The Franco-German climate mission

MERLIN

The Franco-German small satellite MERLIN (Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission) is a climate mission designed to monitor the greenhouse gas methane in the Earth's atmosphere. With the help of a Lidar instrument (Light Detecting and Ranging), MERLIN will detect and monitor the greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere from an altitude of around 500 kilometres starting in 2028.

Exploring the icy depths

The TRIPLE exploration system

What lies beneath the surface of lakes and oceans that have long been covered with ice? How have the microorganisms trapped there evolved and how do they differ from other life forms on the surface? The Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and subglacial Lake Exploration (TRIPLE) system is designed to help answer these questions.

Innovation, communication, geostationary

Heinrich Hertz

The Heinrich Hertz mission has a number of ambitious goals. One is to test the suitability of new satellite communications technologies for use in space. Technology must function under very demanding conditions in space, as it is exposed to extreme heat and cold, as well as vacuum and microgravity conditions.

The German-Swedish Student Programme

REXUS/BEXUS

The REXUS/BEXUS programme provides students with opportunities to conduct scientific and technical experiments on rockets and balloons under special atmospheric conditions. Experiments on a REXUS rocket must be completed within five minutes, while BEXUS balloons offer flight and experiment times of between two and five hours. A call of proposals is released in September of each year.

Earth & Climate

Communications & Navigation

Space Technologies

Space Research

Space Safety

Cooperation & Transfer