Protecting space infrastructure and warning of hazards
Never before in the history of spaceflight have there been more active satellites in Earth’s orbit alongside more space debris than there are today. In total, this amounts to more than 10,000 tonnes of scrap material. The majority is found in low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes of up to 2000 kilometres, where most active satellites operate. The risk of collisions in LEO is therefore particularly high. At the same time, infrastructure in orbit is not only threatened by space debris, but also faces potential threats from other actors in the space sector. For this reason, the German Space Agency at DLR and the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) Space Command have jointly operated the Space Situational Awareness Centre in Uedem since 2011. At ILA 2026, visitors can gain insights into the centre’s work via a touch table display. An impact exhibit also illustrates the consequences of a collision with space debris.
Staff from the German Space Agency at DLR and the German Armed Forces Space Command work together to build a situational picture of space, supporting various stakeholders within and outside of the federal government. These services include not only the direct protection of Germany’s own space infrastructure through the assessment of critical approaches by other objects, but also keeping authorities and the Bundeswehr informed regarding the situation in near-Earth space. Civil protection authorities are likewise kept continuously updated, so that they can alert the public in the event of space debris re-entering the atmosphere.
Link:
German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR)
German Space Agency at DLR, Space Safety
E-Mail contact-dlr@DLR.de
