Tag der Raumfahrt

Discover optics and technologies from Fraunhofer IOF for space research!

Fraunhofer IOF's innovative technologies are on an exciting journey through space to advance the exploration of distant galaxies. Engage in a direct exchange with our researchers and discover the latest technological developments that make the universe more accessible to us all.

“Gravitational wave research:
Making cosmic tremors visible”

Speaker: Dr. Pascal Birckigt

In modern astrophysics, the measurement of gravitational waves opens up new horizons for understanding the universe. The European Union is currently supporting the development of a highly sensitive gravitational wave observatory, the so-called Einstein Telescope.

This lecture highlights the crucial role of glass technologies for the Einstein Telescope. The focus is on direct joining, which is being used for the first time at Fraunhofer IOF to manufacture sensitive sensors. These components are used for the seismic decoupling of mirrors, which is necessary for the sensitive measurement of gravitational waves.

The lecture explains how gravitational waves are created, what the current status of the Einstein Telescope is, how the glass technologies work together, and provides an outlook on further areas of application for glass technologies from Fraunhofer IOF in the context of astronomy and satellite-based Earth observation.

“Focus on Earth: Fascinating Images
and Climate Research with Light”

Speaker: Dr. Stephanie Hesse-Ertelt

This short lecture will give you insights into optics and technologies that have been used for instruments for Earth observation, including climate research.

In spring 2022, the first hyperspectral satellite developed and built in Germany, the “Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program” – or EnMAP for short – was launched into space.

From space, it will analyze our environment in the future and thus not only visualize the consequences of climate change, but also potential natural hazards. A total of eleven mirrors and various optical layers for telescope and spectrometer optics were manufactured for it at Fraunhofer IOF in Jena.

The goal is to provide excellent images combined with spectral data in order to collect diagnostic information about the state of our earth and water. The effects of human intervention on ecosystems can also be observed and the administrative staff of natural resources, e.g. in agriculture, can be facilitated.

The German Aerospace Center's (DLR) Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) instrument has been observing the Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) with hyperspectral optics from 235 spectral channels since 2018.  With its compact optical design, DESIS captures the visible and near-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum with high resolution. The mechanical and optical features enable DESIS to be used for agriculture and forestry, for analyzing land use and for multi-temporal environmental monitoring. For the project, Fraunhofer IOF developed the optical system, consisting of a telescope and spectrometer, which provides the hyperspectral data for DESIS.  

The “Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring” (CO2M) mission is dedicated to the question of how much of the greenhouse gas CO₂ in the Earth's atmosphere is caused by human activity. Researchers from Jena have developed and manufactured what is probably the most important optical component for the spectrometers on board the two Earth observation satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA): the disperser. It enables highly precise measurements of greenhouse gases and their concentrations using infrared spectrometers. The disperser consists of two prisms and a grating and acts as a kind of “color splitter”. It splits the light reflected from the earth very precisely into its spectral colors, thus enabling highly precise measurements of the CO₂ content in the earth's atmosphere.

“A look into the unknown: optical systems
for exploring the planets Mars and Jupiter”

Speaker: Dr. Jan Kinast

The researchers at Fraunhofer IOF in Jena were also able to make an innovative contribution to various planetary missions.

On board the European-Japanese space probe “BepiColombo”, which set off for Mercury in fall 2018, is a thermal infrared spectrometer developed by Fraunhofer IOF, the MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer) for analyzing the Mercury surface. The high-precision optics will make it possible to analyze Mercury's surface in the thermal infrared range and reveal previously hidden details. The seven-year mission is designed to unlock the secrets of Mercury, the planet closest to the sun. On December 1, 2024, BepiColombo successfully completed its fifth of a total of six flybys of Mercury. This enabled images in the mid-infrared range to be captured for the first time, providing new insights into the properties of the planet.

ESA's “Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer” – or JUICE for short – mission launched in April 2023. On board the spacecraft is the “Ganymed Laser Altimeter”, also known as GALA. A measuring instrument developed by researchers at Fraunhofer IOF in collaboration with the company HENSOLDT Optronics. The overall system was developed and built under the leadership of the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V. GALA is the first “deep space laser altimeter” to be used at a distance of approximately one billion kilometers from Earth.

The mission's destination, the moon Ganymede, which is covered with ice and has a special similarity to Earth. In order to explore Ganymede, but also the moons Callisto and Europe, as well as Jupiter itself, in more detail, a total of ten scientific instruments are located on board the spacecraft. GALA has the task of measuring the geographical characteristics of Jupiter's moon.

For the mobile laboratory of the Rosalind Franklin rover, which is being used as part of ESA's ExoMars mission, the researchers from Jena developed a miniaturized laser module. This Raman spectrometer, which is the size of a 50-cent coin and features a diode-pumped solid-state laser, is used to analyze mineralogical compounds on the Martian surface in order to search for traces of extraterrestrial life on Mars. It can be used to study the scattering of light from molecules in the atmosphere or from solids such as rock samples.

“Compact system for quantum
communication via mini-satellite”

Speaker: Daniel Heinig

Scientists from Jena, Würzburg and Potsdam have developed a compact system for long-range, secure communication using quanta that is suitable for use with microsatellites.

The CubeSat, which is no larger than a shoebox, will transmit encrypted messages between ground stations in Jena and Munich over a distance of 300 kilometers. This is achieved by quantum key distribution (QKD), which involves sending special entangled light particles (photons). If anyone tries to intercept them, the message will change, allowing the attack to be detected.

Until now, this technique was limited to fiber optic networks, which only have a range of about 200 kilometers. To bridge larger distances, satellites are now being used. However, conventional satellites are large and expensive. That's why the team is developing a particularly light and small system that can be transported on board a microsatellite.

This technology could enable worldwide, tap-proof communication in the future. This would be particularly important for banks, governments and secret data transfers.