The German Aerospace Center (; DLR) is Germany's research and technology organization for aeronautics and space. It conducts research for these fields, as well as in energy, transport, security and defense. The German Space Agency at the DLR is Germany's space agency. DLR also serves as a project management agency (Projektträger) both nationally and internationally.
DLR is headquartered in Cologne. It operates at 30 locations across Germany with 51 institutes, facilities and competence centers. DLR employs a total of 11,786 people (as of 2024).
DLR is actively engaged in European and international research networks and maintains offices in Brussels, Paris, Washington D.C. and Tokyo. It also collaborates with several international research infrastructures, including Andøya, Norway (launch site for sounding rockets), Almería, Spain (research, development and test center for concentrating solar technologies), Évora, Portugal (solar field with parabolic trough test facility for molten salt), Gars O'Higgins, Antarctica (satellite data receiving station), Inuvik, Canada (satellite data reception station), and Kiruna, Sweden (launch site for sounding rockets).
History 1907 to 1945 The origins of aeronautics and space research in Germany date back to 1907, when Ludwig Prandtl founded the MVA, the Modellversuchsanstalt für Aerodynamik der Motorluftschiff-Studiengesellschaft in Göttingen, which later became the Aerodynamics Research Institute (Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt; AVA). Other important predecessors include the German Experimental Institute for Aviation (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt; DVL) in Berlin-Adlershof, founded in 1912; the German Aeronautical Research Institute (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luftfahrt; DFL) in Braunschweig, founded in 1936; and the Aeronautical Radio Research Institute Oberpfaffenhofen (Flugfunk Forschungsinstitut Oberpfaffenhofen; FFO), founded in 1937 and led by Max Dieckmann. During the Nazi era, these institutions were involved in armaments research and, in some cases, made use of forced labor. The predecessor of today's Institute of Aerospace Medicine (Institut für Luft- und Raumfahrtmedizin) was involved in human experiments, in which physician Siegfried Ruff played a central role.
1946 to 1969 After the World War II, aeronautical research was initially subject to Allied restrictions. Reconstruction began in the 1950s, particularly in Bavaria, where the FFO was integrated into the DVL.
Since 1969 By the late 1960s, the fragmented research landscape was considered unsustainable, despite strong resistance from individual stakeholders. In 1969, the German Research and Test Institute for Aviation and Space Flight (Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DFVLR) was founded through the merger of the DVL, AVA, DFL and other institutes. In 1989, it was renamed the German Research Institute for Aviation and Spaceflight (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and in 1997 it merged with the German Agency for Spaceflight Affairs (Deutsche Agentur für Raumfahrtangelegenheiten; DARA), forming the present-day DLR.
Organization Core activities DLR conducts research and development with a focus on aeronautics, space, energy, transport, security and defense. As an independent organizational unit alongside the research institutes, the German Space Agency at DLR is responsible for planning and implementing Germany's space activities on behalf of the German Federal Government. Other independent organizational units are Projektträger (DLR's project management agency) and, for aviation, the Programme Management Agency for Aviation Research. Both oversee funding programs and promote knowledge transfer.
Funding DLR's institutional research is funded by the federal government and by the federal states in which it has sites. DLR also raises third-party funds. In 2024, DLR's total funding amounted to 1.701 billion euros. The federal and state governments contributed 52.9 per cent of this, while 47.1 per cent came from third-party funding.
Memberships Among others, DLR is a member of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.
Research overview DLR conducts research in the key areas of aeronautics, space, energy and transport, as well as the cross-cutting fields of security, defense and digitalization. Its focus is on the development of new applications as well as the associated societal, technological and economic challenges. DLR collaborates with public stakeholders – including ministries, local authorities and agencies – providing data and evidence to support decision-making. It also cooperates with industry. DLR's goal is to drive innovation and technology transfer, contributing to practical new technical and technological applications, developing intellectual property rights and licenses and supporting startups.
Aeronautics DLR's aeronautics research focuses on climate-compatible and safe aviation, including efficient, low-emission electric propulsion systems, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), aerodynamics, noise reduction and assistance systems. With its research infrastructure, including test benches and research aircraft, DLR carries out projects on environmentally compatible fuels, propulsion technologies, aerodynamics and atmospheric research. The respective research infrastructure includes wind tunnels in Göttingen and Braunschweig for airflow testing, as well as the ACT/FHS Flying Helicopter Simulator.
Space DLR's space research develops concepts for earth observation, communication and navigation. It develops, tests and qualifies space technologies. With a focus on sustainability, it focuses on reusable space systems, environmentally compatible fuels, maintainable satellites and space debris removal. DLR's exploration projects are carried out within international collaborations and target destinations both within and outside the Solar System, such as the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission to Mars's moon Phobos – a German-French-Japanese collaboration. DLR conducts research under space conditions, using sounding rockets to carry experiments to the edge of space. DLR also operates the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) and supports decision-makers and disaster relief teams on the ground and in crisis situations worldwide through its Center for Satellite-Based Crisis Information (Zentrum für satellitengestützte Kriseninformation, ZKI).
Energy DLR's energy research focuses on solutions in electricity, heat and chemical energy carriers. Through numerous projects, it investigates concepts for renewable energy generation, storage and conversion. The energy research area operates 64 test and experimental facilities, advancing projects to high levels of technology readiness. Research includes technology concepts for generating electricity and hydrogen from renewable sources, the development of efficient energy storage systems and the modeling and simulation of entire energy systems. At the Wind Energy Research Park (WiValdi) in Krummendeich, DLR is researching quieter and more cost-effective wind turbines. DLR also operates solar tower power plants in Jülich and at the Plataforma Solar de Almería, in collaboration with the Spanish research institute CIEMAT.
In June 2026, in collaboration with the researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the German Aerospace Center published PAINT (Pre-processed and Aligned Information of a Solar Tower), the world's first open-access, high-resolution database for an operational concentrating solar power (CSP) tower plant. Published in *Nature Energy*, the 849 GB dataset provides machine-readable operational and meteorological data from the Jülich Solar Tower to accelerate global solar thermal research and AI-driven automation.
Transport DLR's transport research focuses on the development of technological solutions for rail, road and maritime transport. Through a wide range of projects, DLR is working to promote safe, future-proof mobility and to make transport more sustainable through climate-compatible propulsion concepts. The respective infrastructure includes autonomous research vehicles, test benches, simulators, as well as measurement and test tracks. These facilities enable DLR to conduct research into both concepts that affect the transport system as a whole and vehicle concepts such as the Next Generation Car family, as well as their subsystems. DLR is also active in maritime traffic management and implements projects on emission-free shipping, automated assistance systems and transport chain coordination at the national and international levels.
Security and defense DLR contributes to the development, testing and evaluation of security- and defense-related technologies. Its strategic focus encompasses the protection and monitoring of critical infrastructure, crisis and disaster management, border security and protection against terrorism.
Digitalization DLR's research into digitalization aims to provide impulses for industry and to develop new technologies, methods and processes in an application-oriented manner, deploying them in research and research management. Key areas include artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
German Space Agency at DLR Organization and legal basis The German Space Agency at DLR serves as Germany's national space agency. It is based in Bonn and employs approximately 350 people.Julia Rosner: Lernen aus dem Weltall. In: Kölnische Rundschau, 18 May 2022, p. 26. Part of DLR, it coordinates all German space activities. The federal government has assigned DLR sovereign tasks in the field of spaceflight under the Space Affairs Delegation Act (Raumfahrtaufgabenübertragungsgesetz; RAÜG).
Key responsibilities Central tasks of the agency include: Program planning: development and management of the national space program and budget International representation: representing Germany in international space organizations and managing German contributions to ESA and EUMETSAT Consulting and strategy: advising the German Federal Government and implementing the national space strategy Management functions include: Research funding: support and financing of research experiments under space conditions, such as parabolic flight campaigns Technology transfer: promoting commercialization, innovation and competitiveness in the space industry Digitalization: advancing digitalization and the development of innovative space technologies
Societal responsibilities include: Climate protection and the environment: providing data to support climate protection and environmental monitoring through space missions Public outreach and education: informing the public and fostering interest in space, particularly among young people Security and defense: contributing to national security, including operation of the Space Situational Awareness Centre together with the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces)
Project management services Fundamental tasks DLR operates two independent project management units with distinct service profiles and thematic priorities. DLR Projektträger Since 1975, DLR Projektträger has been part of DLR and acts as a service provider for the management of research, education and innovation programs on behalf of federal and state ministries, the European Commission and other organizations. It develops strategies, manages funding programs and projects, facilitates expert and public dialogue and supports the exploitation of knowledge.
Programme Management Agency for Aviation Research