So what did DLR scientists do? They flew straight into them. On purpose! π³ 120 encounters. All to develop WEAA β a system that warns pilots before they ever feel a thing. π«
π Every plane leaves invisible spinning vortices in its wake β and the aircraft behind it could fly right into them.
They form whenever a plane generates lift, carrying enough energy to cause abrupt reactions in a following aircraft. π
Studying star system LHS 1903, CHEOPS confirmed 3 known planets - and discovered a 4th. The twist? The outermost planet is rocky, flipping the pattern we know from our own solar system. Turns out the universe doesn't always play by the rules! π
#cheops #cheopstelescope #dlr #ESA
π°οΈESA's CHEOPS detects distant planets by catching tiny dips in starlight - but that requires extraordinary precision. Thanks to DLR's thermal engineering, the detector stays stable to within 0.01 Β°C. Without that, accurate exoplanet measurements simply wouldn't be possible. π¬π
#asteroid #asteroidresearch #DLR #Apophis
Two instruments financed almost exclusively by Germany (DLR) will be joining:
RPS β the first plasma spectrometer ever flown on an asteroid mission, measuring the plasma environment.
MARIE β a magnetometer that will study Apophisβ magnetic field and help us better understand its internal structure.
In 2029, asteroid Apophis will fly safely by Earth. @esa.int & JAXA are sending RAMSES to study it with two CubeSats: Don Quijote, which will land on the asteroid, and Farinella. Why? Because asteroid impacts are the only natural disaster we could prevent. ππ[
#HelicopterInnovation #DLR #TestCentre
π DLRβs Smart Twisting Active Rotor (STAR) project is testing βsmartβ rotor blades that twist using electric actuators and reduce noise by 7β―dB β cutting vibrations and boosting efficiency. A big step for quieter, smoother, more efficient helicopters & future urban air mobility!
HALO is flying again today! π₯³ You can track it live on flightradar π€π
ESA's Plato spacecraft gets shaken to its core! π These vibration tests simulate the extreme forces during lift-off β one of many checks to ensure a successful journey to space.
πΉ: @esa.int
#plato #shakeit #vibecheck #dlr
π½οΈ: NAWDIC
#HALO #HALONAWDIC #Ireland #weatherprediction #DLR
π Winter storms in Europe are hard to predict because key processes start high over the North Atlantic. π¨ Dry air intrusions can worsen many storms as they travel from North America to Europe. βοΈ HALO is now stationed in Ireland to take measurements across the Atlantic, improving weather models.
Good News! The deadline has been moved to the 23rd of February! π₯³π€©
Use the link below to send your #GoodLuckMMX wishes π
Your reminder to send your #GoodLuckMMX wishes to Idefix, the DLR/CNES rover, before the 18th of January (this Sunday)!
And donβt forget to collect your boarding certificate! π₯³
You can find the form at the bottom of JAXAβs website:
goodluck-mmx.jp/en/
If you want to send a message with the Martian Moons eXploration (#MMX) spacecraft π°οΈ when it launches for Phobos this year (and receive a cool boarding certificate!), you now have until February 23 to get your message to us! ππ§ͺ
Want to learn more about how this area on Mars was shaped? Have read through our article on the Eumenides Dorsum:
www.dlr.de/en/latest/ne...
#Mars #HRSCimages #scrapedknee #Yardangs
Did Mars scrape its knee? π΄ Not quite. These βyardangsβ are elongated ridges carved by wind into rock over millions of years. Mars' thin atmosphere (less than 1% of Earth's pressure) still packs enough punch to sandblast the surface β even areas like these, which are almost the size of Belgium! π¨
πΈ:
[1] CubeSat (10x10x10 cm, most widely use of small satellites
[2] Family photo of small satellites illustrating the size range
[3] The small satellite FOREST-3 (Forest Observation and Recognition Experimental Smallsat Thermal Detector)
Small satellites: tiny, affordable and flexible π They can monitor wildfires, map ocean waves in 3D and countless else π Discover how theyβre changing space research and why future smallsats might even be wood based, in the latest edition of the DLRmagazine!
www.dlr.de/en/media/pub...
#DLR #smallsat
What a year. β¨
2025 was packed with projects, collaborations, and milestones weβre proud of. Thank you to everyone who made it possible - we canβt wait to see what the next year has in store! ππ
#2026 here we come!
Find more information on the MMX Mission here: goodluck-mmx.jp/en/
And Idefix on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/mmx_rover/
#Idefix #Rover #Mars #Phobos #SpaceExploration
[πΈ: CNES]
π For the New Year, share your #GoodLuckMMX wishes to JAXA Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission and the DLR-@cnes.fr Idefix rover β and theyβll fly on a memory card inside the return capsule on the 2026 mission to Phobos β the Martian moon named after fear itself.π
Better data, better climate science!
#GabonX #Biomass #Gabon #Satellite
Read more about it on:
www.dlr.de/en/latest/ne...
Ever wondered how much carbon our forests store?
DLRβs Dornier DO 228-212 aircraft recently flew in sync with ESAβs Biomass satellite over Gabonβs rainforest. They calibrated the satelliteβs radar so that it can precisely determine the biomass (total mass of living material) hidden in our forests.
Learn directly from scientists and enjoy excursions like the Kennedy Space Center and Wendelstein 7-X. π
Sounds like your ideal summer plans for 2026?
Then check out the details under:
www.dlr.de/en/latest/ne...
See you next summer! βοΈ
Summer 2026 is sorted!ππ Join the International Space Weather Camp hosted by the University of Alabama (US) and @dlr-de.bsky.social and explore space weather hands-on: work in small teams on projects from numerical data analysis to building satellite receivers. π¬π©
An overview of all planned projects can be found here:
www.dlr.de/en/latest/ne...
π Last month, Germany committed β¬5.4 billion for the future of Europe in space at ESAβs Ministerial Council. This represents 23% of ESAβs β¬22 billion budget and will support a wide range of important research and science projects π§.
@esa.int
#esa #futureofeuropeanspace
