Institute of Space Research (DLR)

The DLR Institute of Space Research is a world-leading competence center for optical sensor systems and their use in planetary research, Earth observation, and civil security. With around 300 employees, it develops, verifies, operates, and analyzes optical instruments including cameras, spectrometers, radiometers, and laser altimeters for more than 20 ESA, NASA, JAXA, and KARI space missions. Its departments advance planetary science, Earth observation, space instrumentation, planetary geodesy and geology, real-time data processing, and security applications, contributing to German and international space programs.