Claudia Roth visits the RM
Climate research and earth observation were the focus of a visit by Claudia Roth (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Member of the German Bundestag, to the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen on 20 December 2018. The first stop of the visit was the German Space Operations Centre (GSOC). The Augsburg Member of Parliament gained valuable insights into the world of space travel. Alexander Gerst was on the verge of returning to Earth and during his time on the International Space Station (ISS) was also supervised by GSOC.
The Vice President of the German Bundestag paid special attention to the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) in the Earth Observation Center (EOC). Earth observation data such as satellite images, aerial photographs and other geodata are obtained and analysed at the ZKI. The scientists use this data to generate up-to-date situation information before, during or after catastrophes and crises, as well as for major events that can be planned. Both national and international users of the ZKI include political decision-makers, situation centres and aid organisations.
The next item on the agenda was climate research and a tour of the DLR research aircraft fleet. The DLR Research Flight Departments are responsible for providing and deploying highly modified research aircraft. These aircraft themselves are the subject of aeronautical research, or they are used as platforms for the installation of scientific equipment by research groups for observing the Earth, the sea surfaces and the atmosphere. The scientists on site informed Claudia Roth about research at the DLR Institute for Atmospheric Physics. The scientists at the Institute are investigating the physics and chemistry of the global atmosphere from the ground to the upper edge of the middle atmosphere at an altitude of about 120 kilometres. Building on this, the Institute is a competent contact for all questions of relevance to the atmosphere for society and politics.
Claudia Roth was enthusiastic about the Robotics and Mechatronics Centre (RMC). The RMC is DLR's competence centre for research and development in the fields of robotics, mechatronics and optical systems. In robotics, the centre is regarded as one of the world's leading centres of excellence. In the RMC, Claudia Roth was personally welcomed by the Justin robot. The humanoid robot Rollin' Justin is a platform for research in the field of service robotics. The system is used in particular in the household and to assist astronauts in space.
Finally, Claudia Roth informed herself about the current status of Tandem-L. With the Tandem-L radar satellite system, it will be possible to record the Earth's changes on a weekly basis. Due to its novel imaging techniques and enormous recording capacity, Tandem-L will make a decisive contribution to a better understanding of the Earth system and its dynamics.