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| DLR Oberpfaffenhofen | |
|---|---|
| Name | Oberpfaffenhofen |
| Location | Oberpfaffenhofen, Bavaria, Germany |
| Established | 1936 |
| Type | Research aerodrome |
| Operator | German Aerospace Center (DLR) |
DLR Oberpfaffenhofen
DLR Oberpfaffenhofen is a major research site and aerodrome in Oberpfaffenhofen, Bavaria, serving as a center for aerospace, satellite, and atmospheric science. The campus hosts facilities for spaceflight engineering, Earth observation, and aviation testing, and it is a hub for collaboration among European and German institutions. The site integrates operations related to satellite missions, experimental aircraft, and research satellites with partnerships across industry and academia.
DLR Oberpfaffenhofen functions as an operational base for the German Aerospace Center, supporting programs for European Space Agency, Airbus, Max Planck Society, Fraunhofer Society, and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich projects. The campus includes mission control elements for TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X, EnMAP, and earlier programs such as ERS-1 and ERS-2, while working with contractors like OHB System AG and Thales Alenia Space. The location in Bavaria places it near Munich, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and regional agencies including the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, creating links with Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt programs and European research infrastructures.
The site originated as an airfield in the 1930s and evolved through phases linked to Luftwaffe activity, Allied occupation of Germany, and postwar reconstruction that involved entities like Messerschmitt and later Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. During the Cold War it hosted civil and military aviation research alongside developments in radio and radar connected to institutions such as Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luftfahrt. In the 1970s and 1980s the facility shifted toward space systems, integrating with European Space Agency initiatives and becoming central to German reunification era science investments, attracting collaborations with European Southern Observatory-linked projects and firms like MTU Aero Engines.
The complex comprises hangars, cleanrooms, satellite integration halls, and a mission operations center that supports ground segments for synthetic aperture radar and optical missions. Testbeds include wind tunnels historically associated with TU Munich research, electromagnetic compatibility chambers used by Airbus Defence and Space, thermal-vacuum facilities employed by OHB and EADS, and avionics laboratories linked to Rolls-Royce Holdings and MTU. The airfield supports experimental aircraft types, with maintenance facilities comparable to those at Flugplatz München and instrumentation suites interoperable with networks like EUMETSAT and Copernicus. Archive and library collections reflect ties to German Aerospace Center heritage and European satellite mission records.
Research areas encompass remote sensing, satellite operations, atmospheric chemistry, and flight systems research that align with projects such as Sentinel series, RADAR missions like TerraSAR-X, and Earth observation campaigns coordinated with European Commission initiatives. Scientific teams conduct work on hyperspectral sensors similar to EnMAP, GPS and GNSS studies relating to Galileo (satellite navigation), and technology development for small satellites echoing trends from CubeSat programs. Atmospheric research is performed in collaboration with institutes such as Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, while avionics and flight dynamics efforts interface with Deutsche Lufthansa test operations and university aeroelasticity groups at Technical University of Munich.
The site hosts branches or partnerships involving German Aerospace Center, European Space Agency, Airbus, OHB System AG, Thales Alenia Space, MTU Aero Engines, Fraunhofer Society, Max Planck Society, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Technical University of Munich, EUMETSAT, and European Commission research programs. International collaborations extend to agencies like NASA, CNES, and UK Space Agency, and industrial consortia include suppliers and integrators such as RUAG, Leonardo S.p.A., and Safran. Funding and policy interfaces engage ministries like the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and research bodies including the Helmholtz Association.
The site is accessed via regional roads linking to the A96 motorway and is served by rail and road connections to Munich Hauptbahnhof and Munich Airport, with local public transport links integrating with MVV (Munich) services. Proximity to Oberpfaffenhofen Airfield enables general aviation access, and logistics for satellite integration are coordinated through freight routes connecting to European aerospace manufacturing centers in Toulouse, Bremen (city), and Hamburg. Visitor and personnel access is managed under security protocols consistent with partnerships involving European Space Agency and industrial contractors.
Category:Aerospace research institutes in Germany