Country dossier · DEU

Germany

Name: Germany space programme — ALL IN SPACE country dossier
Creator: ALL IN SPACE
License: https://allinspace.xyz/sources

Leading space power

A sourced snapshot of Germany's posture in space — capability, institutions, orbital assets, law and people. Every figure carries its primary source; gaps are shown honestly, never filled with invented data.

Open Germany in the interactive workspace →

Capability tier

Leading space power

Launches to orbit from its own territory: noLaunch sites on record: 2Nationals who have flown: 15

Source: ALL IN SPACE capability ladder · see methodology

Space agency

DLR

Other space institution · established 1997

DLR under its present name dates from its merger with DARA on 1 October 1997. The 1969 previously published here is the AVA, DVL and DFL merger that formed the predecessor DFVLR, which was renamed DLR in 1989. Germany’s national space agency mandate sits with the Deutsche Raumfahrtagentur im DLR under the Raumfahrtaufgabenübertragungsgesetz of 8 June 1990.

Source: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR)

Satellites (owner state)

Counted from the GCAT May 2026 snapshot. The interactive workspace shows a live CelesTrak figure, which uses different owner-attribution rules and will differ.

Source: GCAT · General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (J. McDowell) · May 2026 snapshot

Ground stations

Source: ALL IN SPACE curated ground-station dataset (operator-sourced)

Space budget

$2.7B

Major spender · 2026 · DLR

Source: DLR

National strategy

Raumfahrtstrategie der Bundesregierung (2023)

Federal government strategy positioning space as critical infrastructure for climate, security and sovereignty, replacing the 2010 strategy

Source: Published national space strategies and policies

International space law

Instrument	Status
Outer Space Treaty 1967	Ratified
Rescue Agreement 1968	Ratified
Liability Convention 1972	Ratified
Registration Convention 1975	Ratified
Moon Agreement 1979	Not a party
Artemis Accords 2020	Signatory (2023-09-14)

Source: Status of international agreements relating to activities in outer space (1 January 2026)

Launch sites

German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (North Sea platform)GOSA / OHB and partners · North Sea (planned mobile platform off German coast) · sea based · since 2024
PeenemuendeHistoric Nazi Germany Heeresversuchsanstalt (closed) · Peenemuende, Usedom Island · retired · since 1942

Source: National launch site roster · ALL IN SPACE compilation

Astronauts

Sigmund JaehnSoviet space program (East Germany) · first flight 1978 · First German in space (East German / DDR)
Ulf MerboldESA / NASA · first flight 1983 · First West German in space and first ESA astronaut
Reinhard FurrerDLR / NASA · first flight 1985
Ernst MesserschmidDLR / NASA · first flight 1985
Klaus-Dietrich FladeDLR / Soviet space program · first flight 1992
Hans SchlegelDLR / ESA · first flight 1993
Ulrich WalterDLR / NASA · first flight 1993
Thomas ReiterESA · first flight 1995 · First ESA long-duration astronaut
Reinhold EwaldDLR / ESA · first flight 1997
Gerhard ThieleESA · first flight 2000
Alexander GerstESA · first flight 2014 · First German ISS commander
Matthias MaurerESA · first flight 2021
Rabea RoggePrivate (SpaceX) · first flight 2025 · First German woman in space; SpaceX Fram2 polar mission
Amelie SchoenenwaldESA · first flight 2022 · ESA reserve astronaut (2022); not yet flown
Nicola WinterESA · first flight 2022 · ESA reserve astronaut (2022); not yet flown

Source: Astronaut biographies

Milestones

1942First orbital launch from national soil
1978First national in space
1997DLR established

Notable missions and contributions

Columbus ISS Module
Ariane rocket co-funding
Philae lander (Rosetta)
EnMAP hyperspectral imaging satellite
Isar Aerospace Spectrum maiden flight (30 March 2025, Andoya Spaceport, Norway): first European commercial company to launch an orbital rocket from continental Europe; the test flight was terminated at T+30 seconds and the vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner.