News
Spectacular high-speed flyby of the asteroid Torifune
DLR will support the scientific analysis of data taken by the Hayabusa2♯ asteroid probe:
On Sunday 5 July 2026, the Japanese Hayabusa2♯ asteroid mission flew past asteroid (98943) Torifune at very close range and at an extremely high speed of approximately five kilometres per second (18,000 kilometres per…
Autonomous rail transport: between optimism and scepticism
At the DLR Transport Research Institute, the acceptance conditions for automated rail transport were investigated:
In future, autonomous vehicles could be used for both local and long-distance transport. The Acceptance GoA3+ project, which investigated the attitudes of passengers and staff towards this, has now been…
Artificial Star: How Berlin Laser Technology Helps Explore the Universe
TOPTICA EAGLEYARD demonstrated its Guide Star Laser, which generates an artificial guide star in the atmosphere:
On 8 June 2026, an artificial star above Potsdam became a visible symbol of a regional success story. During a joint event hosted by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) and TOPTICA EAGLEYARD,…
FBH to present space and quantum technologies at ILA 2026
The focus is on compact technologies designed for reliable operation under demanding conditions:
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH), based in Berlin, will present recent developments for space and quantum technologies at ILA Berlin 2026. From June 10-14, 2026, the institute will present a broad technology portfolio…
DLR investigates mobility needs in the Lusatian region
Pathways to establishing new public transport services in rural areas:
Around 36% of Germany’s population lives in rural areas, and about 90% of them own at least one car per household, significantly higher than the national average of 80% (infas et al. 2025). Rural areas still lack…
TOPTICA EAGLEYARD expands its global position in the space market
Adlershof-based laser specialist strengthens international presence and scales structures for future space missions:
TOPTICA EAGLEYARD is advancing the expansion of its activities in the global space market. The Berlin-based company, which has contributed high‑performance laser diodes to numerous international missions, is…
Chance encounter in space: JANUS camera captures interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
ESA's Jupiter probe, JUICE, was unexpectedly perfectly lined up for observations of a comet from deep interstellar space:
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, en route to Jupiter on a journey lasting over seven years, was not originally scheduled to conduct scientific operations so early in its voyage. Then, in the summer of…
MOBITAT 2050: Making Commuting More Sustainable
The DLR Institute of Transport Research investigated how commuting patterns are changing in direct interaction with the aspects of housing and working:
Every day, millions of people in Germany commute to and from work. Sometimes only a few kilometers separate home and workplace. However, many commuters travel much longer distances. Although public transport has…
Research platform for measurement data from the depths of the universe
Platform developed by HU and DESY makes data stream from the new wide-field telescope at the Vera Rubin Observatory accessible to astrophysicists worldwide:
The universe is full of explosive events – for example, when stars detonate or are torn apart near black holes. Very rarely, about once every hundred years, such events can be observed with the naked eye in the night…
VCSEL-Powered NMR Gyroscope Ready for Space Navigation
The QYRO project is developing a compact quantum sensor for precise satellite navigation:
Within the QYRO project, the consortium has successfully qualified 795 nm VCSELs as pump-and-probe laser sources for an NMR gyroscope designed to enable compact and energy-efficient navigation in space. A VCSEL…
Worlds made of ice
How cameras and lasers map Jupiter’s moons:
Far out in the solar system, some 700 million kilometres from Earth, the gas giant Jupiter reigns over an entire army of moons. These are worlds of ice, scarred by kilometre-long cracks and chasms, pockmarked with…
A proving ground for pioneers
Researchers and developers at the Adlershof Technology Park are still making history in the aviation and aerospace sector:
The aviation pioneer Melli Beese died a century ago. In the very place that she once helped shape, researchers and developers are still making history in the aviation and aerospace sector—with excellent technologies…
From Adlershof into the depths of the solar system
Perpective by Ulrich Köhler, planetary geologist at the DLR Institute of Space Research:
This announcement in November 2025 sent a thrill through many people in this country: Europe would soon be sending three astronauts to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis programme—among them, for the first time, a…
DLR is getting a new large-scale research facility for the mobility transition
Multisensory experience mozu is under construction:
Mobility plays a significant role in our daily lives and in society. Conventional visualisation is often not sufficient to understand the complex interactions of urban mobility. With mozu, the German Aerospace Center…
TOPTICA EAGLEYARD powers the LISA Space Mission
Adlershof company supplies tailor-made laser diode system for satellite project:
Renowned for its expertise in providing suitable laser diodes for space applications, TOPTICA EAGLEYARD once again plays a vital role in a major space mission. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), led by the…
Satellites for technological sovereignty: German Chancellor Merz and Berlin's Governing Mayor Wegner visited Adlershof-based company BST
Leading manufacturer of small satellites exemplifies Berlin's innovative strength:
During his inaugural visit to Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner visited BST Berlin Space Technologies at the Adlershof Technology Park to learn about the construction of…
Behind the scenes at ESA
Public evening lecture highlights PTB's contribution to the ESA NewAthena mission:
On December 3, 2025, Frédéric Safa and Marcos Bavdaz from the European Space Agency (ESA) will give a public lecture presenting the scientific objectives and technical implementation of the NewAthena mission. This…
Mars in 3D
Using a special camera developed in Adlershof, planetary geologist Daniela Tirsch and her team are mapping planet Mars:
For more than 20 years, the Mars Express probe of the European Space Agency (ESA) has been studying the surface and atmosphere of Mars. On board is Germany’s most significant contribution to the mission: the High…
Winds blow across Mars at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour
New study with DLR participation helps to improve our understanding of the Martian atmospheric dynamics:
On Mars, ‘dust devils’ and winds reach speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour – stronger than previously thought. This is demonstrated by a new study from an international research team led by the University of…
How supermarket parking lots help the energy supply in Berlin
Research project shows innovative solutions for electromobility:
Supermarket parking lots can help reduce the need for expansion of charging infrastructure in public spaces in Berlin by up to 17 percent. In the Retail4Multi-Use project, scientists from the Reiner Lemoine Institute…