Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) is Germany's national research centre for aeronautics and space. It is headquartered in Cologne. Its site says it uses the expertise of its 51 research institutes and facilities, and that its 12,000 employees share a mission to explore Earth and space while developing technologies for a sustainable future.

Research areas

• Aeronautics, including climate compatible aviation and uncrewed aircraft systems
• Space exploration, including the MMX Martian Moons eXploration mission with Japanese and French space agencies
• Energy
• Transport and mobility
• Security and defence
• Digitalisation

Research aircraft and facilities

DLR operates a research aircraft fleet and large research facilities, some of them unique, which it uses for its own projects and makes available to customers and project partners. It also runs school labs, fellowships and graduate programmes, and hosts a Programme Management Agency for Aviation Research.

Company facts

• More than 115 years of aviation research history, counting predecessor organisations
• 11,786 employees in 2024 according to its published figures
• 51 institutes and facilities
• Sites across Germany and offices abroad