German Aerospace Center

With a weight under 1,000 lb and a hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain, the SLRV makes for a clean, efficient commute

Automotive

Ultralight foam-core runabout squeezes mileage out of small fuel cell

The German Aerospace Center combines ultralight foam-sandwich construction and small, efficient fuel-cell power into the Safe Light Regional Vehicle, a flashy prototype meant to be an efficient, zero-emissions commuter for the city and beyond.

The Chang'e-4 lander, as seen by the Yutu 2 rover

Space

First Moon radiation measurements reveal risk to astronaut health

Radiation is a major danger of space travel, and with human crews heading back to the Moon it’s important to understand the risks. Now we have the clearest data on that to date, thanks to an instrument onboard the Chinese lunar lander Chang’e-4.

Simulated suns heated up the prototype CONTISOL reactor, which may eventually be used to produce hydrogen fuel

Energy

Solar-powered hydrogen reactor stores heat for overnight use

Scientists at the German Aerospace Center have tested a solar reactor concept known as CONTISOL, which also contains a thermal energy storage system to allow it to run day or night.

Due for completion in 2018, the GESTRA project is designed to monitor and track objects in low-Earth orbit

Space

Germany to tackle space junk with GESTRA project

To combat the problem of , German company Fraunhofer has been granted 25 million euros to create the German Experimental Space Surveillance and Tracking Radar (GESTRA) system, which can track space junk as it orbits the earth.

Artist's impression of the Philae lander (Image: ESA)

Space

First attempt to wake up Philae lander unsuccessful

The European Space Agency (ESA) has temporarily suspended its attempt to reestablish contact with its Philae lander. For eight days, the agency’s Rosetta probe unsuccessfully beamed a wake up signal to the hibernating lander, which has been silent since its batteries were exhausted in November.

Aircraft

Laser-based turbulence detector could mean safer flights

A new system to detect invisible and extremely difficult to detect clear-air turbulence (CAT) is currently being tested as part of a European joint project called DELICAT (Demonstration of LIDAR based CAT detection).

The German Aerospace Center's new humanoid robot TORO looks like it means business (Photo: DLR)

AI & Humanoids

Introducing TORO, Germany's new humanoid robot

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has upgraded its DLR-Biped with a humanoid upper body and renamed it the Torque Controlled Humanoid Robot, or TORO for short.

ESA’s Proba-V satellite pinpointed the location of aircraft in flight over the Atlantic approach to western Europe and the UK through their ADS-B signals

Space

Proba-V shows space-based aircraft monitoring is possible

The ESA's Proba-V has become the first satellite to pick up aircraft tracking signals from space, paving the way for continuous aircraft tracking by satellite.

DLR's free-piston linear generator could extend the range of electric vehicles by around 600 km (Photo: DLR (CC-BY 3.0))

Automotive

DLR’s free-piston linear generator redesigns the range extender

Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have developed a new type of range extender that can be powered by a range of different fuels.

The ESA's Proba-V satellite (Image: ESA)

Space

Proba-V satellite to track aircraft continuously from space

By equipping orbiting satellites with instruments that listen in on ADS-B signals, scientists think that it should possible to track aircraft over the course of their entire journey, and they're ready to put the idea to the test.

The DLR Robotic Motion Simulator accurately recreates the sensation of swerving on the road

Virtual Reality

DLR Robotic Motion Simulator cuts costs by re-purposing industrial robot arm

The German Aerospace Center has built a motion simulator that cuts costs by re-purposing mass-produced industrial robot components.