CAPS recently had the pleasure of visiting the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, one of Germany’s largest and most advanced research hubs. Thanks to our colleagues Maron and Cedric—external PhDs at CAPS working at DLR—we got an inside look at how high-performance computing meets Earth observation science.
Our journey began at GSOC, the German Space Operations Center, where we stood above the mission control room responsible for satellite operations and crewed spaceflights, including the Columbus module on the ISS. The scale and precision of the work done there was truly impressive. We then explored one of DLR’s aircraft hangars, where scientific aircraft like the Dornier DO 228-212 are equipped with synthetic aperture radar systems to study everything from forest height to soil moisture. Finally, we stepped into the Techlab’s Compact Test Range—a massive chamber designed to simulate long-distance electromagnetic wave propagation in a space no larger than a basketball court. The engineering behind it was as fascinating as the science it enables.
We’re incredibly grateful to Prof. Reigber, Dr. Müller and the entire DLR team for their warm welcome and the opportunity to witness such inspiring work up close. The visit left us energized and full of ideas—thank you for having us!