Issue 2016
OHB Magazine
The customer magazine of the OHB Group
AIMAGEDDON
Echoes of the Big Bang
ESA and NASA hope to protect the
Earth from impact by asteroids
LISA Pathfinder is tracking the gravitational
waves predicted by Albert Einstein
Radar reconnaissance with
an aha moment
SARah, the successor-system to SAR-Lupe,
sets a new technical standard
DC4 EU – Where European
dreams take flight
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // CONTENTS / EDITORIAL / PUBLISHING DETAILS
12
Interview 04
Interview with Dr. Fritz Merkle, Executive Board
Member of OHB SE and Chief Marketing Officer
News from the OHB Group
08
The latest news about the OHB companies
Project Stories
The primary objective of DC4EU is
to provide affordable, reliable,and
flexible space services for autonomous European access to low Earthorbit. A full end-to-end mission
concept using the unique capabilities
of the Dream Chaser® means: compatibility with an Ariane launcher and
landing on runways in Europe for
quick payload access.
ExoMars12
A question for five “ExoMartians”
AIM – the European mission for defence
against asteroids
Six questions for Marc Scheper, Head of Exploration Studies
LISA Pathfinder
Publishing details
Published by
OHB SE
Corporate Communication
Karl-Ferdinand-Braun-Straße 8
28359 Bremen, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)421 2020-8
Fax: +49 (0)421 2020-700
www.ohb.de
04
The “beast” arrives at OHB Sweden
28
SAR-Lupe to be replaced by the satellite-supported
radar reconnaissance system SARah
32
People at OHB
The MT Team in French Guiana
30
10
Facts and figures
31
24
Kaleidoscope
Tips, miscellaneous
36
Open Space
M2M – welcome to the machine world
38
Concept and design
moskito GmbH & Co. KG, 360°
Markenagentur Bremen, Germany
38
I am delighted to present our OHB MAGAZINE for
the 67th IAC in Mexico. We truly believe in the
need of sharing ideas and working together with
space and non-space sectors. Working for space,
our goal is to create new opportunities that will
benefit the people on Earth, and therefore inspiration and networking are inherited tools. As the
major German-based space company, we are
aware and actively participated in the tremendous socio-economic benefits that the ISS
brought to Europe and the world. Now, it is time
to look forward, to learn from different sectors to
foster innovation, and to actively contribute to
the new chapters that will open beyond the ISS.
As you will soon notice by looking through our
magazine, there are a lot of stories about the OHB
Group to fill this special with many interesting
and varied themes. Worth to highlight our commercial ideas presented together with ESA: the
Environmental Simulation Chamber and the
Dream Chaser® for European Utilization (DC 4EU).
Besides that you will see that OHB System has
officially opened its new space centre for “Optics
and Science” in Oberpfaffenhofen in spring. And
since the ExoMars launch on March 14th, we
have been eagerly following the trace gas orbiter
(TGO) with its “Schiaparelli” decent and landing
module as they approach the red planet.
I wish you an informative, entertaining and
exciting time with our OHB Magazine.
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Cover
Sierra Nevada Corporation
Kind regards
Dr. Fritz Merkle
Executive Board Member and
CMO of OHB Group
Translation and proofreading
Textra Fachübersetzungen,
­Hamburg, Germany
Printed by
BerlinDruck, Achim/Bremen,
Germany
24
Tracking the gravitational waves
Editorial team
Martin Stade (OHB SE, resp.
under press law), Julia Riedl
(OHB System AG), Danela Sell
(freelancer “PR & Redaktion”),
Jürgen W. Konrad (JWK Public
­Relations)
Images
CAA | Cloud Imperium Games |
CNES | ESA | ESA AOES | ESA/ATG
medialab ESA/ C. Carreau |
ESA/P. Carril | ESA-CNES-­
ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du
CSG – JM Guillon | ESA/P. Muller |
H+ Technology | HarperCollins
Publishers | C. C. Meyer
M. Meyer | MT Aerospace | NASA
NASA/ESA | OHB SE | OHB System |
OHB System/Arne Winterboer |
OHB Sweden | SES | Sphero |
Thales Alenia Space/Imag[IN]
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Dear Readers,
32
P.S. Please pay us a visit at our Bremen-Booth!
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // INTERVIEW
“DC4EU – Where European
dreams take flight”
Interview with Dr. Fritz Merkle,
Executive Board Member of OHB SE
and Chief Marketing Officer
I
n March 2015 the European Space Agency (ESA)
released a Call for Ideas (CFI) for ‎strategic partnerships with the private sector in the field of Space
Exploration. Prior to this, OHB together with DLR performed a study to assess the perspectives of the
Dream Chaser® in Europe. Following the Study, and in
response to ‎this CFI, a consortium consisting of OHB
System AG (Germany), Sierra Nevada Corporation
(USA), and Telespazio SpA (Italy) has submitted the
idea of the Dream Chaser® for European ‎Utilisation
(DC 4EU). In May 2015 the consortium submitted the
DC 4 EU Partnership Idea ‎Proposal. A strategic partnership Memorandum of Understanding has been
signed by ESA and the DC 4EU consortium for conduction a pilot phase from May 2016 to June 2017. The
pilot phase covers an assessment of the technical and
programmatic feasibility as well as the preparation of
a business plan.
First of all, what prompted OHB to do a study on SNC’s
Dream Chaser® together with DLR?
In the last decade the US space technology company
SpaceDev was the strategic OHB partner for the penetration of the US market. In 2008 SpaceDev was acquired by SNC. Since then OHB has established and
maintained a close cooperation with SNC. The inherent design advantages of the SNCs Dream Chaser® reusable lifting body spacecraft make it an ideal vehicle
for a broad range of space applications. It could be
used as an ideal LEO platform for advancing human
research, demonstrating operational concepts and
technologies and maturing capabilities in preparation
for deep space exploration. The main idea of the investigation was to assess the perspectives for a European
Utilisation of the Dream Chaser®.
The DC 4EU study concluded that microgravity science
and active debris removal (ADR) were the top applications for Dream Chaser®. How did you reach this
conclusion?
The DC 4EU investigation was conducted in a close collaboration between OHB and SNC in which applications for the Dream Chaser® including crewed and uncrewed flights to low-Earth orbit (LEO) for concrete
missions such as microgravity science, satellite servicing and active debris removal (ADR) were thoroughly reviewed. It has been shown that the Dream
Chaser® has a very high exploitation potential for a
variety of European needs at reasonable costs, especially as unmanned science platform in LEO as well as
a spacecraft for active debris removal (ADR).
This DC 4EU study evaluated ways Dream Chaser® can
fit into the European space industry. Do you see potential use within Europe in the near future?
One national and international mission goal is a sustained exploitation of human-tended infrastructures
beyond 2020, with increased cost efficiency and re-
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // INTERVIEW
sponsiveness to utilization interests. In the first half
of the next century missions complementary to or combined with ISS are envisaged, subsequent for paving
the way for future platforms and habitats in LEO. SNC’s
Dream Chaser® is a multi-mission-capable space utility vehicle that is able to flexibly operate as an independent science platform, logistics enabler, or orbital
servicing vehicle with the ability to deploy, retrieve,
repair, replace, refuel, or assemble items in space.
Dream Chaser® provides the only reusable liftingbody spacecraft with a commercial runway landing
capability, anywhere in the world - offering safe, affordable, flexible and reliable transportation to space.
Can you tell us a bit more about the idea that the consortium foresees for the DC in Europe?
The primary objective of the DC 4EU is to provide affordable, reliable, and flexible space services for independent European access to low Earth orbit (LEO).
DC 4EU delivers best value for Europe by providing a
full end-to-end mission capability using the unique
attributes of the Dream Chaser® Space Utility Vehicle
(SUV), compatibility with the Ariane 6 launch vehicle,
and the ability to land on suitable runways in Europe
for near-immediate payload access.
The DC 4EU will enable Independent European access
to LEO using the Dream Chaser® spacecraft. We would
be able to realize uncrewed independent European
LEO service missions using European assets and infrastructure. Europe can use the Dream Chaser® SUV
platform for multiple missions and foster space utilisation as a major economic opportunity that delivers
significant value to Europe.
What are the roles for Telespazio, SNC, ESA and OHB?
The DC 4 EU consortium consists of OHB System AG
(Germany), Sierra Nevada Corporation (USA) and Tel-
“The DC4EU opens a
high number of potential
activities for European
Industry, Agencies and
Sciences.”
espazio SpA (Italy), who work in close partnership
with the European Space Agency (ESA). OHB and SNC
co-lead the investigation and assess the suitable endto-end mission portfolios and conduct feasibility assessments.
Telespazio SpA sets up ground segment capabilities
for selected services. ESA focuses on the launch vehicle interface, flight regulations and landing scenarios
in Europe.
Which are the potential activities to be carried out in
Europe?
The DC 4 EU opens high number of potential activities
for European Industry, Agencies and Academia. Potential European Activities would be for the first time
an independent European access to LEO by a flight
proven operational system, the use of our new Ariane
6 launcher, at a critical time for its production stabilization and the development of a new European cargo
module (possibly several variants to match different
mission needs) supporting logistic and research.
Furthermore the DC 4 EU would provide flexible research opportunities for the European scientific community, with first class resources and capabilities.
Besides that the DC 4 EU would prepare technologies
for exploration via demonstration in LEO (long duration missions, use exoskeletons, increased mission
autonomy) and could land on European runways.
Which are the benefits for the European Industry to
invest on Dream Chaser® in Europe?
The DC 4EU initiative offers a low-risk, cost-efficient,
near-term opportunity to establish a Dream Chaser®
SUV-based European research and development (R&D)
and operational platform in space which strengthens
During ILA 2016 Dr. Fritz Merkle CMO of OHB Group explained that DC 4 EU contains a great deal for Europe
European competitiveness by enhancing science and
technology research. The DC 4EU sustains the LEO environment (e.g. Active Debris Removal, Satellite Servicing), fosters the commercial development of space and
demonstrates capabilities to enable future crewed and
robotic exploration missions. The Dream Chaser® for
Europe brings space directly to the people with a visible, valuable and compelling investment return. It
inspires future generations, asserts global leadership,
and stimulates national pride and excitement. DC 4EU
allows European industry to actively participate in the
development and manufacturing of the only commercial, reusable, lifting body space system presently
being developed or in existence in the world. Short-,
medium-, and long-term roadmaps outline the potential key technology contributions of European industries in several variants of the Dream Chaser®. Last not
least, this space-system provides affordable and regular LEO access for ESA, national agencies, research
centres and institutions, universities, commercial entities, and especially for private users.
What are the next steps?
Right now, the Consortium is working on this Pilot
Phase to perform both a technical and programmatic
assessment of the feasibility of the idea and the interest and the need in Europe. We are currently in the
process of evaluating elements to contribute to the
Dream Chaser® from companies across Europe, and to
implement their inputs into the Pilot Phase. Once the
Pilot Phase is finalized, around June next year, a dedicated panel of experts will evaluate the idea that will
be presented to the ESA delegates for a decision on the
implementation plan.
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NEWS FROM THE OHB GROUP // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // NEWS FROM THE OHB GROUP
NEWS
Luxembourg’s
Deputy Prime Minister
at OHB
Artwork of Heinrich Hertz satellite
OHB awarded contract by DLR
OHB System AG has been awarded a
contract by DLR Space Administration
to oversee numerous new communications technologies. These technologies,
designed by different industry companies
and institutes, will be integrated in the
Heinrich Hertz satellite so that they can
be tested in space. The contract for satellite-side technology management is
worth a total of around EUR 10 million.
Under the national Heinrich Hertz satellite mission, DLR Space Administration is
working on behalf of the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
to perform scientific tests on the new
communications technologies in orbit
over an extended period of time. Mission
purpose is to test the behavior of these
new technologies under extreme conditions in space.
Accompanied by a delegation of thirty
persons, the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of the Economy of the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Etienne
Schneider, commenced his two-day
stay in Bremen with a visit to the
space technology company OHB on
4 February. The purpose of the visit
was to expand business and scientific
relations. The OHB Group has been represented in Luxembourg since 2005 via
its subsidiary LuxSpace. “Today’s talks
also addressed the Luxembourg space
initiative ‘spaceresources.lu’ for the
­e xploration and utilisation of space resources. Obviously, we would like to
contribute our ideas and experience in
this field,” said OHB CEO Marco Fuchs.
LuxSpace and ORBCOMM got AIS-Contract
Partnership with
China All Access
Inauguration ceremony:
new OHB space centre
“I am proud of these high-tech jobs with the promise that
they hold for the future as well as the spirit of research turn­
ing dreams into reality. Looking forward, the space industry
can continue to rely on the Bavarian state government as a
strong partner.” Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer
made this gratifying declaration on 18 April during his speech
at the opening of our “Optics and Science” space centre in Ober­
pfaffenhofen. In addition to the Minister-President of the Free
State of Bavaria (group photo: centre) and our colleagues employed at the site, CEO Marco Fuchs (2nd from right) also greeted
various renowned business and political figures including Martin
Satellite-based AIS monitors the entire global maritime traffic
Günthner (2nd from left), Bremen’s Senator for Economic Affairs,
Prof. Dr Pascale Ehrenfreund (3rd from right), Chief Executive
­Officer of the German Aerospace Center, and Alain Ratier, Director
General of EUMETSAT (far right).
The heart of the new building, which was built at a cost of
some EUR 30 million and is directly adjacent to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), is formed by two adjacent ISO5 halls each
with a floor area of 150 square metres and an ISO8 hall measuring
300 square metres. The laboratory facilities are spread over a total
of 1,000 square metres and accommodate all the development and
testing equipment required for executing space system projects.
LuxSpace Sàrl and its partner, ORBCOMM Inc. received a four-year satellite
Automatic Identification System (AIS)
data service contract from the European
Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, EMSA is
one of the largest consolidators of AIS data
and is responsible for maritime safety,
pollution-by-ship monitoring and ship security for the European Union and its
Member States. The EMSA framework con-
tract is funded for up to 10.2 Million Euro
for the fixed 4-year service period. The
contract award was the result of a competitive bidding process among providers of
space-based AIS data services. LuxSpace
will provide ORBCOMM’s global real-tim e
data feed of satellite-based AIS (SAT-AIS)
data, which will be used by EMSA, other
EU agencies and EU Member States for
ship tracking and other maritime navigational, safety and security applications.
On 10 March in Shanghai, OHB SE
and China All Access Limited signed
a ­memorandum of understanding
­regarding future cooperation. Both
parties intend to jointly develop solutions for the next generation of satellite
communications applications and will
focus on the following main topics:
1) Achieving more comprehensive network coverage through the integration
of aerial and terrestrial mobile networks;
2) Offering more effective communication solutions for enterprise customers
in the vertical markets; 3) Providing
higher security technology in the transmission process; 4) Developing advanced
applications which are compatible with
different communications networks.
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NEWS FROM THE OHB GROUP // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
OG2 satellites to enter commercial service
ORBCOMM Inc. announced on March 1,
2016 that it has launched commercial
service for its eleven second-gener­
ation OG2 satellites ahead of schedule.
The satellite fleet was launched on
21 December 2015 from Cape Canaveral,
Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. After
very successful and comprehensive inorbit testing, the eleven OG2 satellites
were positioned in three separate drift
orbit planes. Drifting will continue until
they are all in proper phase.
ORBCOMM, a provider of Machineto-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things
(IoT) solutions, uses the advanced satellites to provide both M2M messaging
and Automatic Identification System
(AIS) service to its customers around the
globe. The new satellites are now pro-
cessing more than 60% of the network’s
M2M traffic. With the additional OG2
satellites, ORBCOMM is now collecting
more than 18 million AIS messages from
approximately 150,000 unique vessels
per day, surpassing all other AIS networks in service quality.
The OG2 satellites are fully backwards compatible with ORBCOMM’s
­e xisting OG1 satellites. Customers have
direct access to the full constellation
using their existing devices. OHB SE
holds a long-time strategic share in
­ORBCOMM Inc. as well as a 50% share
in ORBCOMM Europe LLC. Furthermore,
OHB also markets ORBCOMM services
in Germany through its subsidiary
­ORBCOMM Deutschland AG.
OHB Sweden: propulsion systems contract
Electra enters the
next phase
On 11 March, satellite operator SES S.A.
and OHB System AG signed the contract
for the next phase of development of
Electra, a satellite platform with allelectrical propulsion system. The contract is for the development of a highly
competitive, small geostationary satellite
platform for launching satellites with a
mass of less than three tons. Electrical
propulsion will substantially reduce mass
and launch costs. This contract foresees
the launch of an Electra satellite and its
in-orbit qualification. In 2013, SES signed
an initial private-public partnership with
ESA and OHB System AG to attain these
goals. “The partnership with the world’s
largest satellite operator, SES, on the one
hand and the support of ESA and its member states, particularly Germany, on the
other, will open up excellent possibilities
for us, allowing us to assert ourselves in
this attractive market,” said OHB Chief
Executive Officer Marco Fuchs. “The fully
electric GEO platform is a strategic product for OHB, whose importance for future
contracts goes substantially beyond the
telecommunications segment,” Fuchs continued.
Under the ESA contract, SES will define the satellite mission and lead the
­procurement phase. To this end, SES will
work in close cooperation with OHB System AG, which will act as the prime contractor.
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // NEWS FROM THE OHB GROUP
Antwerp Space
receives Communications-Subsystem
Artwork of MetOp-SG in orbit
CGS signed the conversion contract for MWI
CGS SpA Compagnia Generale per lo
Spazio and Airbus Defence and Space
GmbH have signed the contract for the
realization of the MicroWave Imager
(MWI) instrument for the MetOp Second Generation (SG) weather satellites. As a result, the overall value of
the MWI contract is EUR 166 million.
The contract follows a successful preliminary design activity, the selection of all
subcontractors and the price conversion
to firm fixed for the realization phase.
The MicroWave Imager is a sophisticated
instrument that will be installed on
board the Satellite B series and will allow
to provide Europe’s National Meteorological Services and by extension, the international users and Science Community
with unprecedented and high-value data
for meteorological and climate monitoring. CGS is responsible for the design and
the development of the MWI instrument,
from Phase B2 to the final in-orbit verification of all three flight models, to be
supplied to the prime contractor Airbus
DS GmbH.
Antwerp Space has been awarded a
contract for the delivery of the Communication Subsystem for the JUICE
Spacecraft. JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons
Explorer) is the first large-class mission
in the European Space Agency’s (ESA)
Cosmic Vision 2015 – 2025 programme.
The JUICE-spacecraft is being designed
and built by prime contractor Airbus
Defence & Space; the contract awarded
to Antwerp Space is worth approximately EUR 18 million. Antwerp Space
is responsible for designing, integrating
and testing the complete Communication Subsystem, before it will be installed onto the JUICE spacecraft. The
Communication Subsystem will enable
the communication link with Earth during the JUICE mission.
Dream Chaser® Spacecraft began next Phase
Artists’ depiction of the EUCLID satellite
The European Space Agency (ESA) and
Thales Alenia Space (Italy) have awarded OHB Sweden a contract for both
the chemical propulsion system as
well as the fluidic part of the micropropulsion system for the EUCLID
­scientific satellite. The total contract
amount is approximately EUR 12 million. Scheduled for launch in 2020,
­Euclid will explore dark energy and dark
matter, the essential but still mysterious
ingredients in today’s “standard model”
of cosmology. “We are very happy about
the confidence that Thales Alenia Space
and ESA have shown by entrusting us
with this contract. OHB Sweden has
­developed extensive expertise in propulsion systems in recent years and the
company is today a recognised supplier
of electrical, chemical and cold gas
­propulsion systems for satellites,” says
Gierth Olsson, CEO of OHB Sweden.
Fatih Ozmen CEO and owner of SNC together with Marco Fuchs CEO and owner of OHB and
Brigitte Zypries Minister of Space during the ILA-2016 at OHBs booth
Marco Fuchs (left), Karim Michel Sabbagh
and Johann Dietrich Wörner
Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC)
Dream Chaser® full-scale, flight test
vehicle is ready for transportation to
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research
Center (AFRC) in California where
Phase Two flight tests will be conducted in coordination with Edwards
Air Force Base (AFB). Dream Chaser®
program upgrades and initial hardware
testing were completed at the Louisville,
Colorado spacecraft assembly facility,
and within the next several weeks the
same Dream Chaser® vehicle that conducted Phase One flight testing will arrive at NASA’s AFRC. Upon arrival, SNC
will begin a series of pre-flight ground
evaluations to verify and validate the vehicle’s system and subsystem designs.
JUICE JUpiter ICy moons Explorer mission
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PROJECT STORIES // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
Pioneers
at work
It is the year 1877. The Italian astronomer Giovanni
Schiaparelli has discovered the legendary “channels”
on Mars from his observatory in Milan. Today, almost
140 years later, a landing module bearing his name
is en route to the Red Planet. Part one of the ExoMars
mission has started – and we are on board!
OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
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PROJECT STORIES // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
volves essentially more extensive tasks: primary
system responsibility for the carrier. “Our performance and a bit of luck helped us to nail this contract
as the carrier only became free when the US pulled
out. The ESA wanted us for this task on the basis of
our convincing work on ExoMars 16”, adds the father
of two daughters.
“Enthusiasm for the project”
One employee who has been part of the ExoMars
­implementation phase right from the start is Peter
­Schneider. This development engineer has been at
OHB for 16 years. He started off on harness design
and manufacturing components for the Nodes 2 module for the International Space Station (ISS). This
was followed by Flywheel, the astronaut training device. Although Schneider still did not have that much
satellite experience in 2008, he was put on the ExoMars team. His task involves structure design and
coordination with the suppliers and manufacturers.
“What’s special about OHB is the diversity of our
tasks. They are not restricted to a single area, making it possible to experience design up close. The
part you’re holding in your hand now will one day fly
into space”, enthuses the 47-year-old.
The trace gas orbiter, the landing module, and the rover with research lab: the overall ExoMars 2016 and 2020 mission
will conduct a detailed investigation of the Martian atmosphere and search for signs of life.
T
he expedition by the trace gas orbiter, which
carries the Schiaparelli landing module, was
launched on 14 March 2016 with a Russian Proton-M
rocket from the cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
But for OHB, the journey began back in 2003 in the
form of initial studies for the project. After Mars Express, ExoMars is the first major European exploration mission to the Red Planet. This programme represents a key step for both Europe’s aerospace industry and for OHB and some of its employees. “We
are on board right from the initial design as far as
the actual mission. This is highly motivating”, claims
Dr Andreas Winkler, Project Manager at OHB System
in Bremen. Whether up north or down south, the
company has been heavily involved right from the
start in order to be part of ExoMars and gain a foothold in the area of exploration.
“We really wanted to be on board”
Initially, programming and financial framework conditions led to some delays and design modifications.
Project Managers at the time, Markus Katzkowski
and Dr Michael Kesselmann: “We got off to a shaky
start. Originally, there was to be a cohesive mission,
with a carrier and a landing module. NASA was involved as a project partner but had to drop out on
account of budget cuts. So the mission architecture
was open once again. Options included a large orbiter/lander configuration and a tandem comprising
a small orbiter and a carrier/lander configuration. In
the end, one mission became two and Russia came
on board with its own carrier. This required new
modifications and adjustments. But one thing was
certain: we really wanted to be involved in ExoMars.
That’s what we fought for and it’s paid off today. It
was obvious that Italy would assume project management as Germany’s contribution ranked 4th. So
we collaborated with Thales Alenia Space (TAS) in
an application to the ESA. And the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Bonn gave us decisive support
in terms of our strategic positioning within the project”.
Shortly after agreeing on the carrier variant in 2009,
they were called to the major MTG project. Winkler
took on project management and is thrilled with the
“super teamwork”: “We enjoy extremely proactive
collaboration with our client, TAS-F. Despite all the
changes, this has enabled us to deliver a good performance which was even ‘on schedule’!”, emphasises the 53-year-old. By performance, he means the
core of the trace gas orbiter, the structure as well as
the thermal and propulsion system for which OHB
was responsible. The second mission section in-
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
The pleasure this father of three boys takes in his
work is clearly obvious. “At OHB, there is great personal identification with individual projects. Everyone here goes beyond the call of duty and there is a
prevailing enthusiasm for the project and its success.” Schneider also emphasises the issue of cooperation: “There is great support within the department and the team where mutual support is writ
large.” ExoMars 20 will see the development engin­
eer facing some new challenges. “This demands an
essentially more complex design with numerous interfaces. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more
sophisticated but it’s definitely more extensive. In
the end, it’s all ‘just’ engineering!”.
“More complex and extensive tasks”
This view is also shared by Raphaël Lescouzères:
“From an engineering perspective, it’s all ‘relatively
easy’ to realise”, claims the 38-year-old astrophysicist, who started his career at OHB in 2003 developing the ground segment for the Franco-German reconnaissance organisation. “But even during my interview, I said I’d like to focus on satellites”, adds
the Frenchman. He finally joined ExoMars 16 after
designing propulsion systems in preliminary studies, including for the NEXT Lunar Lander exploration
project. “At the time, OHB did not have its own Propulsion Department with the result that the ESA examined my work directly and liked what they saw”,
reminisces the movie buff. In 2009, he assumed
technical responsibility for the OHB part of the trace
gas orbiter. Lescouzères is the Lead System Engineer
for the carrier: “70% of my tasks involve coordinat-
ing the team, acting as a contact person for technical
issues and examining documents. In principle, the
tasks are the same as before but the system is more
complex. We used to be responsible for sub-systems,
now it’s the entire carrier.”
“Focus on teamwork”
This also includes the carrier communication system
for 2020 for which AntwerpSpace is responsible.
Project Manager Alessandro Gugino describes the
task: “The system establishes the communication
between the carrier and the ground station, enabling
it to be controlled by commands on its journey to
Mars until such a time as the lander module is sent
into the Mars orbit.” For AntwerpSpace, participation in ExoMars represents an important development step as its expertise to date has been focused
on the communication systems in ground stations.
And now they’re heading into orbit for the first time.
A logical step for Gugino: “This goes well with both
our own growth strategy and the ESA Georeturn. The
greatest challenge for us is not the technology but
rather the administrative bits and pieces that entails”, according to the 38-year-old Italian.

The trace gas orbiter just before thermal vacuum test 2 (1).
The Bremen
ExoMars-16 team in front of the core module of the trace gas orbiter (2),
which was integrated in the cleanroom at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes (3).
1
2
3
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PROJECT STORIES // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
A question for five “ExoMartians”
Research carousel
and Mars Express at the German Aerospace Centre. Even today, he is
still a member of the scientific team of the US Mars Exploration Rover
(MER) Opportunity. Accordingly, the 47-year-old is all the happier to be
involved in ExoMars now: “For one thing, collaboration with TAS-I is
truly constructive. When problems arise, we sit around a table and work
together to find solutions. On the other hand, the project represents the
next level of complexity in exploring Mars, and we can be proud to be
part of it.”
“We’re almost always involved
in pioneer work”
The client is sending the names of deserving ExoMars 16 employees to the
red planet on board the trace gas orbiter. A nice gesture which also underlines
the importance of the mission. But does work in the team leave any room for
a fascination with the topic of “Mars exploration”?
What is ExoMars?
An element of the sample preparation
system from Oberpfaffenhofen
Colleagues in Belgium have also applied for the LaRa
experiment which hopes to map the internal structure of the planet via accurate observation of the
surface rotation. “This programme is important for
us as it helps us to attract attention and strong references within the ESA science programme. For me
personally, the focus is on teamwork for the entire
mission. It is a particular honour for me to hold this
great responsibility of Project Management while
working with the dynamic and enthusiastic AntwerpSpace team, colleagues at OHB and the EuropeanCanadian supplier consortium”, adds Gugino.
“The next level of complexity”
When the rover for the mission has landed on Mars in
2020, the hour will strike for OHB System in Ober­
pfaffenhofen. After all, colleagues there were involved at an early stage in soliciting contracts for
ExoMars – back when they worked for Kayser-Threde.
2004 saw them design a technology package which
they consistently put forward to various institutes
and scientists. As a result, they are now developing
a complex system for preparing and distributing
samples for Mission 20.
Project Manager Lutz Richter explains what this
means in practice: “A mechanical device conveys the
samples drilled from Mars soil into the analytical
‘ALD’ laboratory inside the rover where they are pulverised and distributed among the corresponding
measurement instruments inside the ALD. This is a
very complex technical process.”
Richter knows more about the topic of exploration
than practically anyone else. When he moved to OHB
System in 2010, he had already worked on Rosetta
ExoMars is a two-part exploration mission by the European and Russian aerospace agencies, ESA and Roskosmos, with the aim of exploring the Red Planet. The first part – ExoMars 16 – which has just started, comprises a trace gas orbiter and a landing module. The primary
aim is to test the landing technology and examine the atmosphere
and surface of Mars. Earlier missions measured methane deposits
which could imply that this gas was released by microorganisms or
decomposition processes. Volcanic eruptions are also regarded as a
conceivable explanation. The aim of the follow-up mission – ExoMars
20 – is to obtain more detailed information. This will involve a carrier
transporting a fixed station, a rover and numerous scientific experiments to Mars. The trace gas orbiter acts as a communication centre
with the earth. Among other things, holes are to be drilled to depths
of up to two metres as scientists suspect that microorganisms migrated underground as Mars became increasingly hostile to life. Furthermore, chemical traces of previous life right below the surface remain
essentially protected from the destructive radiation and atmospheric
conditions above ground.
What does the OHB Group
contribute to ExoMars?
OHB System has made the most important German contribution to
­E xoMars 16: the core module for the trace gas orbiter, comprising the
structure, thermal and propulsion system. And we are taking on even
more extensive tasks for Mission 20. The main responsibility for the
carrier including the mechanical, thermal and electronic interfaces
for the landing module is based in Bremen. What’s more, the propulsion system and position control as well as the energy supply for the
carrier and the lander are being built there. Our colleagues in Ober­
pfaffenhofen are making a variety of contributions to the rover mission: e.g. a system for preparing and distributing samples and a highresolution camera head. AntwerpSpace is responsible for the carrier’s
communication system and the electric ground systems, and has also
applied for the scientific LaRa (Lander Radio Science) experiment.
Andreas Winkler
Peter Schneider
Raphaël Lescouzères
Andreas Winkler, Project Manager, Bremen:
In my case, my enthusiasm concerns all of the hardware
which leaves us. We want to see it being used, like EPM
in Columbus, and that the entire mission is a success.
If traces of life were really to be found, it would be quite
a sensation. That would mean that life in the universe
arises “relatively easily” and could be found elsewhere,
too. The fact that the client is sending our names along
on the mission is a nice appreciation of our good collaboration.
Peter Schneider, Development Engineer:
It’s always hovering in the background. These are inconceivable distances that we are covering. But I’d say that
this enthusiasm is not limited to Mars. It’s about space
travel in general. With Flywheel, we helped the astronauts to stay fit during longer stints in orbit and we
have co-designed the outpost of humanity in the form
of Nodes 2. Each mission is unique as most of what we
do is pioneer work. I think the idea of the nameplates
is cool. Although we know that components we have
worked on are on board, the engraving makes it that bit
more important.
Raphaël Lescouzères, Lead System Engineer:
I find exploration and science very exciting as my original forte was astrophysics. What’s more, I often give
talks on Mars missions at schools and universities. We
are involved in the first – hopefully successful – Euro-
Lutz Richter
Alessandro Gugino
pean Mars landing. And if traces of life are really found
there, it would represent ground-breaking progress in
terms of future colonisation of Mars. So it goes without
saying that this fascination is what drives me at work.
References on the nameplates is a nice and unexpected
appreciation of our efforts so far.
Lutz Richter, Project Manager in Oberpfaffenhofen:
For me, definitely. Earlier missions have proven that
there was once liquid water on Mars. So the big question
is: Has life formed there as well? And if it has, what is it
like? Similar to on Earth or are there other forms of life?
It would be a sensation if evidence of biological activity
outside the Earth were to be found. It would mean that
manned Mars missions would progress pretty quickly in
order to examine this phenomenon in detail.
Alessandro Gugino, Project Manager in Antwerp:
20 July 1969 represents an epic date when the first man
set foot on the moon. Even if we are still debating today
whether it really happened or was it Hollywood – it definitely changed our lives. It was the height of the Cold War
and the event had a positive effect on human history.
And now we are making another major change possible
in the form of “MarsGate”. We are paving the way for the
first person on Mars and writing history in the process.
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AIM team
The OBITER cover photo
is based on the poster
for the blockbuster film
“Armageddon” with
Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis
and Liv Taylor. The OHB
AIM team from left:
Ingo Gerth, Marc Scheper
and Bastian Burmann.
OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
AIM:
deflection
­strategy
for asteroids
ESA and NASA have plans for AIDA, a mission for defence
against asteroids. The target is the Didymos binary asteroid
system which will be within an almost tangible distance of only
11 million kilometres from Earth for the test series in 2022.
Is this mission feasible in terms of time and technology?
OHB System is currently working on the Phase A study for the
European part and is clarifying these questions and many more.
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MASCOT-2 Lander
5
CubeSats
3
4
Lander
Deployment
CubeSat
Deployment
6
Laser Communication
with Earth
1
ESA video on the
AIM mission:
www.esa.int/
spaceinvideos/
Videos/2015/07/
Asteroid_
Impact_Mission
Didymoon
Early Characterisation
Phase
Visible Imaging
Infrared Imaging
High-Frequency Radar
Thermal Imaging
T
he good news first: researchers only reckon on
an asteroid impacting the Earth every few hundred years. We are not currently envisaging any mass
evacuation à la “Deep Impact”, nor do any oil-drilling
specialists – hello “Armageddon” – need to undergo a
crash course in how to become astronauts.
Earth
2
Low-Frequency
Radar Scanning
7
Impact
Post-Impact
Characterisation
Nevertheless, the threat from space is real and has
increasingly captured the public’s interest since February 2013, when an asteroid of around 15 metres in
diameter sped through the atmosphere and exploded
at an altitude of 15 to 25 kilometres over the Russian
city of Chelyabinsk. The kinetic energy it released
was estimated to be more than 30 times the energy
produced by the Hiroshima bomb. The results were
published by the international press: six surrounding
towns were shaken by the blast wave, approx. 1,500
people required medical attention and thousands of
buildings were damaged. Windows in particular were
shattered.
Space agencies around the world are currently unable
to react spontaneously to such potential threats from
space. More long-term planning and technology testing are required. In 2011, ESA and NASA therefore
agreed to collabor­ate on the issue of planetary defence. The overall project goes by the name of AIDA
(Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment) and is
divided into the American part dubbed DART (Double
Asteroid Redirection Test) and the European part
referred to as AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission). As the
world’s first mission of this type, AIM will alter an asteroid’s orbit to demonstrate deflection techniques.
Europe is going to send a probe as an observation and
communication post as well as a lander into the depths
of space. In the form of DART, America will be following with a probe as a missile whose impact is to throw
the celestial body slightly off course.
In April last year, ESA awarded OHB System with a
feasibility study for AIM. This sees OHB heading a European consortium in which the Politecnico di Milano
is responsible for mission analysis, Telespazio VEGA is
in charge of the ground segment and Spin.Works are
preoccupied with the aspects of flight operations and
navigation control. In its capacity as prime contractor,
OHB System Bremen is collaborating with Project
Manager Marc Scheper on the overall concept for the
mission and probe, and the satellite platform in particular. This also includes programmatics, developing
technology, the time schedule and budget as well as
risk analysis. At OHB’s site in Munich and under the
direction of Dr Volker Klein, the concept for an optical
camera is being developed, which is to deliver scientific data and be used for navigation. Payload opera-
tion is also being planned there. Only the size of a
shoebox, the MASCOT-2 lander is being supplied by
the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). AIM must be
launched on a Soyuz rocket by 2020 to enable the
probe to reach its destination in August 2022 where it
will be on course a “mere” 11 million kilometres from
the Earth.
The double-asteroid Didymos, also called a binary or
twin system, is the mission’s target. The larger of the
two is a colossus with a diameter of 800 metres. Its
smaller sidekick measures a mere 170 metres across,
is unofficially referred to as Didymoon and is the actual target of the mission. Eur­ope has set itself the task
of using optic instruments and radar for monitoring
and examining the structure of the asteroid, collecting
data and releasing a lander to Didymoon’s surface
for the purpose of taking and analysing samples. Furthermore, at least two to six nano satellites – or CubeSats – are to be deployed, serving as flying eyes. Communication between the probe and the ESA control
centre via an optical link is to be demonstrated. This
technology has been tested in a near-Earth orbit and
near the Moon but it would be the first time for it to be
used in deep space.
MASCOT-2 lander on Didymoon. If the mission is implemented,
this scenario will appear at the end of 2022.

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Five questions for Marc Scheper, Head of Exploration Studies
Forcing asteroids onto a new course
One of the most important functions of AIM is however
to measure the orbit of Didymoon before and after impact by the American space probe DART. After all, cooperation will see the Americans sending along a
probe which will impact the asteroid in October 2022
as a missile travelling at six kilometres per second.
Scientific calculations project that the collision will
slow Didymoon by about half a millimetre per second,
thereby minimally increasing its orbit. With the aid of
AIM, the Europeans will be monitoring whether
Didymoon has managed to be set off kilter. If it works,
a suitable method will have been found for deflecting
asteroids from collision courses with the Earth.
As a target, Didymos was selected with great consideration as the mass of the larger of the two cosmic
rocks keeps a firm hold on its smaller companion, preventing it from drifting away uncontrollably. Apart
from the favourable distance, this was another criterion when casting the twin asteroids for this mission.
AIDA is the first attempt by several countries to protect the Earth from impact by asteroids, whereby the
requisite technologies and methods have largely been
tested already. In the form of the ROSETTA mission,
Europe only recently demonstrated what we are capable of. Nor is directing fire at celestial bodies anything
new. In July 2005, the NASA probe Deep Impact, for
example, dropped a 400-kilogramme projectile onto
the Temple 1 comet in an effort to find out more about
its composition. The goal of the mission at the time
was not to find out whether the comet would drift away
in the process. These findings are now to be examined
with AIDA. Hopefully we’ll have more on that in six
years’ time.
The AIM spacecraft is the communication and
observation centre for the mission.
Cause for concern?
“Unconventional,
innovative missions
are just our thing”
In March 2015, OHB was awarded the contract to conduct the
AIM feasibility study. The hardware to be developed is to be
launched as early as 2020. We spoke to Marc Scheper, Head of
Space Transportation, Robotic Missions & Exploration Studies
and the responsible Project Manager at OHB in Bremen.
Developing an
entire exploration
mission within five
years is ambitious.
Why did OHB
apply?
In the kingdom of celestial bodies, it is easy to become confused. What is the difference between asteroids and comets
and when do meteoroids become meteorites?
Asteroids, meteoroids and comets can be found among the small
matter orbiting our sun. They do not acquire a spherical shape on
account of their low mass and gravitation. Those crossing the
Earth’s orbit, also referred to as NEOs (Near-Earth Objects), are
monitored by teams of experts all over the world as they can be on
course to collide with the Earth.
Asteroids are star-like rocks. We currently know of around
685,000 of them. Only a few achieve a diameter of several hundred kilometres. Most of them are to be found in the asteroid belt
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids are leftovers of
the origin of the solar system.
As are comets: apart from loose rock, they also comprise frozen
gases and water. These “dirty snowballs” can be found in the Oort
Cloud or in the Kuiper Belt. Sometimes, passing stars tear them
out of their orbits. As they approach the sun, their gases sublime
and rip off particles of dust. Solar wind elongates this cloud
referred to as a coma enabling the development of a comet tail of
up to 100 million kilometres in length.
Meteoroids range in size from only a few millimetres to several
metres. They are smaller than asteroids but there is no clear distinction in terms of their chemical composition or size. They
evolve, for example, when the gravitation exerted by planets pulls
them out of an asteroid belt, the solar wind knocks them out of the
comet core or when two asteroids collide. Once they enter the
Earth’s atmosphere, they are called meteors – also commonly
known as shooting stars, as they light up as the air particles are
charged. All of these become meteorites when they are additionally accompanied by impact with the Earth. Their incredible
impact speed of several kilometres per second and the ensuing
blast wave can inflict tremendous damage.
For various reasons.
For one thing, unconventional and innovative missions are
just our thing. At 750
kilos, the spacecraft
lies right in our area
of competence. As
does the envisaged
financial framework of around 200 million euros. For
another, we are extremely good at feasibility studies,
as confirmed on several occasions by the ESA. The
­customer and the scientists arrive with a “wish list”
and we bring them back down to Earth. We examine
this list, ask critical questions and indicate what can
be done, what is too risky in terms of the tight schedule
and what technological applications are in fact possible
within the framework of the planned budget.
Speaking of budget:
has financing been secured?
No, not at all. After all, there are two competing study
teams. Interim reports are available to ESA which
will then select a concept for submission to its council
of ministers for agreement in November 2016. If the
council gives the go-ahead, the concept will officially
become an ESA mission and implementation can start.
What is the greatest challenge
for OHB in this project?
Definitely the schedule. The mission has to start in October 2020 or else it will not reach its destination in time,
whereby guidance and navigation are decisive elements
of the mission concept. First of all, the spacecraft is
obliged to find its way across a distance of 480 million
kilometres to the target asteroid. Then the next task
involves using visual detection to manoeuvre around the
Didymos system without using up too much fuel.
What are the chances for realisation of AIM?
It’s hard to say. And it depends on lots of factors. There’s
no question but that such a system will come sooner or
later. The timing is favourable as the whole issue of
planet defence has been attributed a strong public focus
since the asteroid impact in Russia two years ago. And
international cooperation on this topic is certainly helpful. It remains to be seen just how high the ESA member
states ultimately set this priority.
Does a calculable risk prevail right now?
Are asteroids on course to collide with the Earth?
Not in the near future, according to the latest observations
and calculations. Researchers currently assume that an
asteroid hits the Earth every few hundred years. Having
said that, not all of them have been detected and recorded
and around 1,000 new asteroids appear every year. It is
impossible to react spontaneously to such a threat. This
requires tried-and-tested technologies and missions. Starting now is certainly of help – even if it will only benefit
future generations. After all, the past has already shown
just what damage asteroid impact can inflict.
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
Echoes of the Big Bang
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves,
we did it!” – an epoch-making statement that came at just the
right moment.
A
t the same time LIGO1 scientists announced the
sensation back on Earth on 11 February, the
LISA 2 Pathfinder successfully started operating in
outer space. The world is spellbound by gravitational
waves – and we are making a major contribution to the
effort to find out more about them.
But let’s start at the beginning. Albert Einstein posited
their existence in his general theory of relativity almost exactly a century ago. Since then, researchers
around the world have been trying to prove the existence of gravitational waves: minuscule disturbances
in space-time that propagate at the speed of light. The
mathematical proof has been delivered. Physics has
never questioned their existence because their effects
are demonstrable. Now, however, researchers were
able to measure the actual waves for the first time,
thus unequivocally demonstrating their existence.
This happened already back on 14 September of last
year. However, the more than 1,000 scientists from
sixteen countries participating in the project first had
to subject their data to painstaking analysis before
they could be certain of the findings and announce
their discovery to the world. According to their calculations, the gravitational waves arose from the collision
of two black holes 1.3 billion years ago. This was long
before the beginning of human life on Earth. The black
holes reportedly each had a mass twenty-five times
that of our sun as they spiralled around one another at
half the speed of light and then became faster and
faster. A split second before they fused, they triggered
the gravitational waves. These were powerful enough
to reach LIGO’s terrestrial detectors and offer us a
brand-new glimpse into the depths of the cosmos.
Smaller than an atomic nucleus
In this context, “powerful enough” means that the mirror position of the Livingston Detector in Louisiana
fluctuated by just one hundredth of the diameter of the
1
nucleus of a hydrogen atom. Signals that are this sensitive are measured by means of laser interferometry. In
the LIGO project, this happens at two observatories
located 3,000 kilometres apart in Washington State
and Louisiana. At each observatory, there are two
pipes with a length of four kilometres each in the form
of an “L” with sides of equal length. To put it very simply, these are constantly measured by means of a laser.
If a gravitational wave passes through the detector,
the pipes are variously shrunk or stretched, causing a
measurable change in length in the picometre range.
The real trick for the scientists is to isolate a gravitational signal from the numerous forms of interference
such as seismic tremors or wind. To this end, the second observatory serves as a reference. The distance
between the two then also enables researchers to determine where and when the signal from the cosmos
must have originated.
LISA Pathfinder
circles Lagrange
point L1 toward
the sun at a distance of 1.5 million kilometres
from Earth.
This measurement marks an epoch-making breakthrough
in gravitational-wave astronomy. Scientists gained, in a
manner of speaking, a new “sensory organ” with which
they are now also able to scrutinize the dark side of the
universe and obtain insights into our genesis all the
way back to the Big Bang. But where could one detect
these cosmic waves more precisely and with less interference than here on Earth? In outer space, of course!
Pathfinder in space
The European Space Agency (ESA) couldn’t have
picked a better time for the successful start-up of the
LISA Pathfinder. It is a proof-of-concept mission for a
gravitational wave observatory in space called eLISA 3 ,
which, as proposed, will consist of three satellites positioned at distances of up to ten million kilometres
from one another. When weak gravitational waves in
the <1 mHz to 1 Hz frequency range pass through this
triangular constellation, researchers reckon they
stand a very good chance of detecting them and identifying their origin with eLISA.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory 2 Laser Interferometer Space Antenna 3 evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

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Test mass
Optical
bench
Electrode
housing
Central cylinder
1
Solar array
Science
module
Science
module
Propulsion
module
2
3
The inertial sensors from OHB CGS are central elements for the LISA Pathfinder mission (1). They are housed in the technology package
in the sensor head flight units (2). Integration of LISA Pathfinder on the VEGA rocket on November 16, 2015 in Kourou, French Guiana (3).
ESA has currently slated the project to begin in 2034.
Due to current developments, however, the topic may
be assigned a higher priority, which would result in an
earlier project start. “First, however, we must demonstrate that the technology is suitable for use in space.
LISA Pathfinder will supply the answers,” according to
Paulo Sarra of OHB CGS, who, as the responsible system engineer, knows the project like the back of his
hand. The fifty-year-old has been working on the inertial sensors for the LISA Pathfinder since 2001, from
the Phase-A study up to the flight hardware.
The technology demonstrator functions according to
the same principle as LIGO, but with the added difficulty of weightlessness. The inertial sensors are the
key component of the experimental set-up. Two cubes
LISA Technology
Package core assembly
made of a gold-platinum alloy, also known as test
masses, are positioned precisely 38 centimetres apart
and – since being released from their holder in midFebruary – are floating in vacuum containers in a state
of near-perfect free fall.
As the key technology of the entire mission, the inertial sensors must perform multiple tasks. “They have
a locking mechanism that held the test masses in
place during launch and a gripping mechanism that
releases them into free fall in their housing and monitors them electromagnetically,” explains the father
of two. “In addition, they measure the positions of
the test masses in relation to the satellite and are an
integral part of the ‘drag-free attitude control system’ that controls compensation for extraneous
Interior view of a technological marvel: the LISA Pathfinder assembly. The technology package houses the free-floating, 46-millimetre
test mass cubes, the relative orientation of which is measured with a precision of one hundred-millionth of a millimetre by a laser
forces in conjunction with micronewton thrusters,”
the Italian continues.
the laser assembly at the Max Planck Institute for
Gravitational Physics in Hanover.
Power for the laser
The orientation of the 46-millimetre test mass cubes
in relation to one another is measured with a precision of one hundred-millionth of a millimetre by a
laser. The Laser Control Unit, which is the central
supply unit for the laser and the laser modulator, is
made by OHB System. Project Manager Alexander
Hannes describes its task: “We use it to control the
output and frequency of the laser, provide power, and
process the control and measurement signals to permit processing of the commands between the satellite and the laser.” The colleagues were also responsible for integration and verification of these units in
“With this contract, OHB CGS has established a solid
presence when it comes to scientific missions and
made an important contribution to this fundamental
step in astrophysics. My teammates and I are very
proud that our efforts over the past few years have
now been rewarded with a successful mission,” says
Sarra. Alexander Hannes is also happy about the successful LISA Pathfinder technology demonstrations:
“The cooperation both within the team and with customers and project partners was outstanding. We are
proud that, as part of this mission, we were able to
contribute the first step toward a new physical perception of our universe.”
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OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
Orion’s service module (the European Service Module or “ESM” for short) is being provided by ESA. The
prime contractor is Airbus Defence and Space in
Bremen. It sits directly below Orion’s crew capsule
and provides propulsion, thermal control, water and
air for the astronauts. The module measures a little
over 5 m in diameter, is 4 m high and weighs approx.
13.5 tons. The 8.6 tons of propellant will power the
main engine and 32 smaller thrusters, while the solar
array delivers some 11 kW of energy, enough to
power two households.
Extensive assembly in the cleanroom
As a subcontractor to Airbus D&S for the Orion PQM,
OHB Sweden is responsible for assembly, integration, and test activities. By July, among other things,
our colleagues must install 20 rocket engines, 800
components and tube parts, and 200 test sensors.
This is compounded by 400 orbital welds including
X-ray verification and 200 “Cryofits”, a shape memory alloy technology which serves as an alternative
to welding.
The most critical technology in the assembly of the
PQM, and the main reason why OHB Sweden won the
contract, is the orbital welding of titanium tube
parts. Our Swedish colleagues have a very good
track record in this field, with numerous flawless
welds performed in the SmallGEO and Solar Orbiter
projects.
The Orion PQM is lifted out under the supervision of Fredrik Klint.
The “beast” arrives
at OHB Sweden!
On a sunny day at the beginning of February, a heavy transport truck carrying an unusually large container cautiously manoeuvred into OHB Sweden’s facilities in Kista, Stockholm. Inside the container was a
bulky, 8.7-ton beast eagerly awaited by our colleagues: a propulsion system for NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
T
he utmost dexterity was required to steer the
Propulsion Qualification Model (PQM) through
the narrow entrance portal. A tiny margin of just one
scant millimetre remained on each side. Ultimately,
however, the task was accomplished. Now the future
progress of the NASA/ESA joint project, which is without a doubt one of the most fascinating in the field of
manned space exploration, is up to our Swedish colleagues.
It is also their responsibility to arrange for transportation of the PQM to the White Sands Test Facility
(WSTF) in New Mexico and subject it, after exhaus-
tive testing, to the acceptance tests in October. This
will check all PQM functions (regulators, valves and
sensors). In addition, the specialists from OHB Sweden will verify pressure and leak tightness of all
fluid lines. Airbus D&S will take control again for the
hot firing tests at the end of the year.
High schedule pressure
Because the first flight is already slated for 2018,
the flight model of the ESM must be delivered to
NASA no later than spring 2017. This means that the
schedule for the entire Orion programme depends on
the PQM being ready for the tests in autumn.
The first task facing our colleagues in Sweden was to
verify the readiness of the brackets and tubes for
integration. This meant that they had to show readiness and compliance for not only the weld qualifications, but also all necessary processes, procedures
and personnel. Moreover, they had to show that they
are able to receive and keep track of hundreds of
parts. The preparatory work for the assembly and
acceptance tests at WSTF has now been completed.
Now that the facility review has already taken place,
the preparations for transportation to WSTF are at an
advanced stage. The transport container projected
and ordered by OHB Sweden has already been manufactured and was tested when the PQM was transported to Sweden. Plans call for the PQM to be transported across the Atlantic by truck and ship, but it
can also be moved using an Antonov 124 heavy-lift
aircraft if time runs short before the scheduled delivery date.
The heavy-weight team that manoeuvred the PQM into the cleanroom (1).
Mia Cadreas and Lars Axenfalk longing for their first space flight (2). Attachment of additional legs (3)
Orion is designed to carry human beings further into
space than they have ever gone before – perhaps
even to Mars – and return them safely to Earth. It will
launch atop NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space
Launch System (SLS). Its first, unmanned mission in
2018 is destined for the moon. If it succeeds, four
astronauts will follow on a similar path.
1
2
3
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­
Team profile
Ready for lift-off with Team MT Guyane
Service provider MT Aerospace Guyane is responsible for smooth operations at the spaceport in
Kourou. Its Director, Fabrice Scheid, works with 60 people there – including a purely female team.
A native of France, he provides an insight into his professional and personal life in French Guiana.
MT Guyane supports clients such as Arianespace, CNES,
Europropulsion, Air-liquide and OHB as they prepare
their lift-offs. Tasks include operation and maintenance
of the Ariane 5 and Soyuz launch pads as well as operation of the physical measurement laboratory for the past
20 years. “Our goal is always to achieve the highest possible customer satisfaction with acceptable financial
results”, claims the 40-year-old father of three. “My job
involves guaranteeing optimum launch campaign pro­
cedures within the framework of MT responsibilities,
including safety standards and legal guidelines, and to
form the interface between OHB companies for strategic
decisions”, adds the physicist.
“Our experienced technical teams enable us to achieve
this. They receive great support from our administrative
backbone, the ladies’ team”, says Scheid. This team is
headed by Monique Rivière, Chief Financial Officer and
employed at MT Guyane since 1997. “As my ‘right-hand
woman’, she is very competent, effective and displays
distinctive negotiating skills”, explains the Director. Personnel matters are handled by Natacha Rambour. Josiane
Dumouchel is the accountant within the established
quartet and Annie Bremond is the secretary. “In comparison to the other companies here, we handle our administrative tasks relatively independently. We are obliged to
ensure that all changes to legislation are taken into consideration – and there are a lot of them in France. We
meet this challenge by virtue of the fact that the team
avails of a wide range of expertise and competence”,
adds Scheid.
Women account for 20 per cent of the workforce in the
space centre. Although it is often higher in the administrative area, 100 per cent is seldom achieved. But this is
a familiar set-up for Fabrice Scheid: “I am surrounded
by my wife Conny and our three daughters at home and
I have four female colleagues here at work. There is a
harmonious working atmosphere and there are fewer
conflicts.”
Fabrice Scheid (left) with the administrative backbone of
MT Guyane (from left): Natacha Rambour, Monique Rivière,
Annie Bremond and Josiane Dumouchel. Computer expert
Ewald Laurencin provides support in IT matters
Part of the technical team integrating an upper stage in
the “Launcher Integration Building”
The Director describes his work in Kourou as a “challenge during exciting times” as maximum operational
efficiency is the order of the day. “Competition with
SpaceX has given rise to enormous pressure on costs.
Three rockets have been launched since 2012: Ariane 5,
Soyuz and Vega. And the industrial landscape has also
changed since Arianespace shares were sold by CNES to
ASL. What’s more, construction will soon start on the
launch pads for the Ariane 6, hopefully featuring a key
role for MT.”
Despite a heavy workload, Scheid finds his life in Kourou
less stressful than in Germany: “We obtain a greater
insight into French culture and it is ideal for our daught­
ers to grow up bilingual. There is less commuting, parents
aren’t obliged to get much involved in the school and the
fact that they can play outside all year round makes it a
paradise for our children.” But this enthusiasm is not
only displayed by the kids: “For me as an enthusiastic
spaceman – I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a
child – this is the place to be”, claims Scheid.
4 months
The time it will take until the Schiaparelli module recently launched within the
framework of the ExoMars project separates from the trace gas orbiter (TGO)
and swings into an orbit around the Red Planet. The TGO will not enter the Mars
orbit until next year after completing a series of braking manoeuvres.
7
The number of Mars mis­
sions currently active in
the orbit and on the surface of the Red Planet.
ExoMars will be number 8.
900
5.1
Height in kilometres climbed by the dust vortexes occasionally forming on Mars, according
to discoveries by NASA. For terrestrial visitors, such so-called “dust devils” would be
perilous. But the only ones to experience them
to date have been film astronauts such as Mark
Watney (The Martian), albeit fictionally.
Weight in kilogrammes of the by far heaviest object ever landed
by man on the surface of Mars: the “Curiosity” rover in August
2012. It is not only the size of a small car but also weighs as
much. The second heavyweights to land on the surface each
weigh approx. 600 kg: the two “Viking” probes sent by NASA.
228 million
The average distance in kilometres between Mars and
the Earth. It is never more than 400 million km away
from us but it doesn’t get any closer than 55 million
km either. In fact, Mars will be relatively close by in a
few weeks’ time: on 31 May, it will be a mere 75.3
million km away, enabling it to be seen particularly
well in the night sky. Nine days beforehand, it will be
exactly in opposition to the Earth, something which
happens every two years.
20
24 hours
and 37 minutes and 22 seconds is how long Mars rotates fully on
its own axis – not much longer than our Earth. And at 25 degrees, the inclination of the rotation axis is also roughly the
same as the planet we call home (23.8 degrees). Having said
that, at 687 days, a year on Mars is almost twice as long as here
and the planet is only about half the size of the Earth with a diameter of almost 6,800 kilometres. In fact, it is by no means as
cosy on the dry and dusty Red Planet as here: temperatures
range from plus 27 degrees Celsius to minus 133 degrees Celsius, gravitation is only 38 per cent of that on Earth and the atmos­
phere is very thin, comprising 95.3 per cent carbon dioxide.
The minimum value of significance with which the two detectors in the USA have actually proved the
existence of gravitation waves caused by two black holes colliding with each other in a distant galaxy.
This means that the likelihood of a false alarm is so low that it would only occur once every 200,000
years, as calculated by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein
Institute) in Hanover, who were also the first to record the GW 150914 signal.
PROJECT STORIES // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
Two reflector satellites and a phased-array
satellite form the SARah space segment.
33
OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
Radar reconnaissance
with an “aha” moment
With SAR-Lupe, OHB System has set new standards in
satellite-based radar reconnaissance. And the
successor system SARah will be even more powerful.
T
he project is profiled in the satellite-based
reconnaissance programme area headed by
Tino Zehetbauer. The SARah project team managed by
Dr Pascal Knobloch has just accomplished another
major milestone.
France’s optical Helios II reconnaissance system,
thereby serving as a core element of European strategic reconnaissance. No wonder therefore that the
German army has already paved the way for a successor system in view of the fact that the contract with
OHB expires in November 2017.
For approx. the past nine years, the five SAR-Lupe
satellites have been orbiting the Earth and supplying
reliable images of practically every inch of the planet.
Regardless of whether it is day or night, cloudy or
sunny in the respective areas: the images received by
the ground station in Gelsdorf near Bonn from the five
identical small satellites are always razor-sharp – and
therefore exceedingly valuable for an entire range of
applications. This equally applies for environmental
protection and exploration of natural resources, disaster control, monitoring plants, recording geodetic
data or even for security applications and reconnaissance missions.
Even more powerful than the SAR-Lupe satellites
It was decided in July 2013 that OHB System AG would
also be given a chance to realise a satellite-supported
next-generation radar reconnaissance system. At the
time, the corresponding contract was signed with the
Federal Office for Equipment, In­formation Technol­
ogy and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) in Koblenz. It covers a volume of 816 million euros and
transfers responsibility to OHB as the main contractor
for realising the entire system known as SARah which
comprises three satellites and the corresponding
ground segment.
The German army, which not only commissioned us to
develop and construct, but also to operate the entire
SAR-Lupe system, and the German government are
equally appreciative of the images. For example,
when it comes to reacting early on and appropriately
to critical developments. After all, the detailed
images are gleaned without violating territorial
sovereign rights which could possibly further exacerbate already critical situations. Other modern reconnaissance systems such as drones are unable to
achieve this. SAR-Lupe has been extended to such a
degree that it can now be used in collaboration with
As with SAR-Lupe, the first three letters denote the
Synthetic Aperture Radar recording technique. “The
‘ah’ suffix could stand for the aha effect as SARah
will be capable of significantly more than SAR-Lupe”,
grins Project Manager Dr Pascal Knobloch. In order
to manage this sophisticated project successfully,
the 41-year-old specialist in electrical engineering,
high-frequency technology and optics avails of
the very best skills – from his previous employment
as Project Manager for navigation satellites and
as head of the radar payload for the SAR-Lupe
programme. Knobloch’s team includes around 80 col

34
PROJECT STORIES // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
leagues, whereby two-thirds of them are responsible
for the space segment while the remainder is in charge
of the ground segment. Unlike the SAR-Lupe, not all of
the new system’s satellites originate in the integration halls at OHB. “We design and build two satellites
as well as key components of the ground station
equipment in Gelsdorf. The third satellite and the
­specific functions with which it is coordinated in the
ground segment are contributed by our colleagues at
Airbus Defence and Space”, explains the Project
­Manager. But the specifications and requirements
defined by the Bundeswehr (German army) in its capacity as client are the same for all satellites.
Two high technologies under one roof
While the two SARah satellites built by OHB will be a
further development of the SAR-Lupe satellites and,
based on reflector technology, the satellite supplied
by Airbus will be fitted with phased-array technology.
“Both technologies have proved their worth in space –
the phased-array antennae on the TerraSAR-X and
Tandem-X civil satellites flying in parallel and whose
35
OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // PROJECT STORIES
data enables the generation of detailed three-dimensional structures of the Earth’s surface”, explains
Dr Pascal Knobloch.
“Phased array” refers to phase-controlled antennae
comprising many individual transmission/reception
modules. As they can be interconnected, bundled and
variably controlled, they permit image sequences facilitating mechanical alignment.
Combining the two different technologies of reflector
and phased-array for the first time, as well as setting
up a second reception station in Kiruna in northern
Sweden, will make SARah significantly more powerful
than SAR-Lupe. This will permit even better resolution of radar images, faster downloads from the satellites and tangibly shorter system response times. The
greatest challenge: “We have to merge two entirely
different systems to form one harmonious overall system which will in turn have to cope with considerably
larger volumes of data”, explains Knobloch. Back
when he was still involved in developing SAR-Lupe
SARah management team (from left) Project Manager Dr Pascal Knobloch, Member of the Management Board Dr Ingo Engeln
and Head of Programme Division Satellite-Based Reconnaissance Systems Tino Zehetbauer
The SAR-Lupe satellites were successfully tested in the integration hall in Bremen.
as a payload system engineer, his task was far less
complex.
But work on the new system is progressing well. This
was not least expressed during the extensive system
analysis presented by the SARah project team to
Bundeswehr experts in August. “The client was very
satisfied with our presentation. We can be pleased
therefore of having reached another major milestone,
even if it was only on paper and did not include any
hardware components”, claims Project Manager Dr
Knobloch. Accordingly, the project is entirely on
schedule.
Plans envisage delivery of the first hardware components as early as this winter. For the satellite development model on the one hand and development of the
ground segment at stage 1 on the other; after all, the
ground segment should be operable to such an extent
in autumn 2016 that it can take over operation of SARLupe at the user interface. The ground system will be
extended step by step until the final development
stage in late 2019. In the future, the OHB ground segment will offer the opportunity to commission other
satellite systems apart from SAR-Lupe and SARah
(e.g. optic systems).
Launch pad in California
A contract for further operation of SAR-Lupe is
planned for the transition period from the end of nominal SAR-Lupe operation until commencement of full
operation of SARah. The fate of the SAR-Lupe satellites after being replaced by SARah is as yet undetermined. If there is no more use for them, they will be
passivated and burnt up in full upon reentry to the
Earth’s atmosphere.
The three SARah satellites will be transferred to space
on board the “Falcon 9” launch vehicle owned by the
American company SpaceX, whereby a dual launch is
planned for the two OHB satellites. The traditional
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is planned as
a launch pad. This is where space satellites were
launched back in 1959.
36
Star Wars feeling
for your
living room
Holograms that float in space have long been a staple
of science fiction movies.
However, they are conspicuously absent from ordinary
households. Now Canadian manufacturer H+ Technology
intends to change all that with the launch of its affordable
Holus 3-D holographic display. The tabletop device consists of a plastic box with an integral glass pyramid in
which electronic 3-D objects can be viewed from all sides.
A smartphone or tablet can be used to load the device with
data, for example, 3-D games. For this purpose, the $699
Home Edition is equipped with a USB 3 port while the
$799 Pro version features an HDMI interface. Talented
tinkerers can create their own content using the included
Software Development Kit for the popular 3-D engines
Unity3D and Unreal Engine.
 http://hplustech.com/
KALEIDOSCOPE // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
Invisible anti-theft protection
for bicycles
Game tip:
Star Citizen
electrifies gamers
New impressions of the
Apollo programme
It’s amazing what you can do with satellites! Now they can
even help to catch bicycle thieves red-handed, as demonstrated by the “Kissmybike” system recently developed
by a team of one Russian and two Belorussian visiting researchers at Italy’s University of Trento.
It consists of an ultra-light, 7.8 x 2.1 centimetre module, which
can be concealed in the bike frame, wheel hub or handlebars,
and an app. Whenever the bike is moved unexpectedly, the
owner is alerted by a message on their smartphone. Simultaneously, the system tracks the path and current location of the
bike via GPS or GSM and relays this information to the owner.
Because the module’s battery is activated only in the event of
theft, it has a life of several years.
http://kissmy.bike/
The fully playable version of “Star Citizen” isn’t even available yet,
and already the complex online game, which has to do with interstellar trade and space combat with alien races of the Milky Way,
has shattered various records.
For example, it is not only the largest computer game project financed
through crowdfunding but, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the
largest crowdfunding project ever. The team of programmers headed up by
game developer Chris Roberts (“Wing Commander”), who is the object of
near cultic veneration, began releasing individual modules online in August 2013. The complete version should be available before the end of the
year. If you want to get a first impression and perhaps become one of the
project’s supporters, who now total more than a million, please click here:
 https://robertsspaceindustries.com
Book tip: The future maker
Caught in the Net
“Space food for all”
Is this the way we will eat in the future? An expert
team of nutritionists, sports scientists and physicians has developed a powder on which human beings can supposedly live for weeks without suffering
from nutritional deficiencies.
The product, which consists of natural ingredients such
as GMO-free soya beans, vitamins and minerals from zinc
to iron, is being advertised by Berlin-based seller nu3 as
“space food for all”. When mixed with water or milk, within a minute it forms a creamy shake that is supposed to be
definitely healthier than a frozen pizza containing a long
list of additives. But then who lives for weeks on frozen
pizza alone?
 www.nu3.de
 www.soylent.com
37
OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // KALEIDOSCOPE
Three videos with
cult potential
Fascinating perspectives: using images and maps produced by ESA
and NASA, Swedish artist Erik Wernquist has created an animated
short video that provides a wonderful glimpse of what it would be like
to travel to the most spectacular places in our solar system – with
Carl Sagan as your tour guide. Star Trek meets Star Wars: If you always wondered what a space battle between the Federation and the
evil forces of the Empire would look like, you will delight in this masterfully edited trailer for a fictional mega blockbuster. Funny: In this
video, famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking lends his electronic
voice to the “Galaxy Song”, a favourite from the movie The Meaning of
Life by the legendary English comedy troupe Monty Python.
 www.erikwernquist.com/wanderers/
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLo80ugXahk
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfcC6FYyL4U
He owns the only private company
cacapable of launching a spaceship with
a large payload and returning it to Earth.
But the head of the aerospace company SpaceX
is also influential in other innovative industries.
With his electric car company Tesla and construction of the “Hyperloop” tube train which
travels almost as fast as the speed of sound, he
has therefore started to revolutionise our attitude towards mobility. Who else could we be
talking about other than Elon Musk, the busy lateral thinker and technology mogul, who became filthy rich after co-founding the Paypal
­payment system and is sometimes even referred to as a “21st century
Leonardo da Vinci”. This is his revealing biography with which Bloom­
berg reporter Ashlee Vance gets very close to the fascinating multi-­
genius and in which he also discloses his dark side. The original edition
was published by Ecco Press, New York, under the title of “Tesla,
SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future”; list price: 28.99 USD
 www.harpercollins.com
Since 1999, Kipp Teague from Johnson Space
Center belonging to the US space agency NASA
has been working on a comprehensive photo
database depicting the legendary Apollo space
programme.
The fruits of this task can be enjoyed by any space
fan as, now, around 12,000 historic high-resolution colour and black-and-white images stemming
from the successful US moon programme can be
viewed in the popular Flickr image database. Most
of the photos taken by the Apollo astronauts, that
can be found here at Project Apollo Archive under
the ­licence “Public Domain”, were previously not
publicly available.
 www.flickr.com
App tip: the Milky Way
on your smartphone
Almost two years ago, the European Space
Agency (ESA) launched one of its most
exciting missions in the form of “Gaia”.
Since then, a satellite of the same name has been
scanning around a billion stars with unheard-of
precision and measuring their spectres and independent movements. Based on the data gleaned in
this process, a star catalogue and an exact three-dimensional map of our Milky Way will be drawn up
in three years’ time. But any space enthusiast can
participate in the results
of the mission right now:
the multi-language “Gaiaverse” portal not only
contains plenty of information, videos, posters
and brochures – it also offers an interactive smartphone app, astronomy
software for real-time visualisations in 3-D and a
“Science Alert” function.
 www.gaiaverse.eu
38
OPEN SPACE // OHB MAGAZINE | 2016
But even if we confine ourselves to the heretofore common terms M2M and IoT (“Internet of things”), the upheavals are tremendous. In a “smart factory”, products “know” about their respective status throughout
the manufacturing process and convey this information to the machines involved in the process. On this
basis, the machines decide what should happen to the
product next. This makes the processes of production
and distribution substantially more efficient and facilitates their immediate adaptation to customer requirements. In this manner, it is possible to produce
even one-off items and very small quantities profit­
ably, especially if one takes into account the new 3-D
printing technologies.
However, potential savings beckon not only in production, but throughout the logistics chain as well. For
example: if vending machines report their current inventory to a central computer after every change, they
can be restocked much more efficiently and the selection of products can be adapted to real demand. Production and logistics merge to form a system that manages itself with extremely high efficiency.
Welcome to
the machine world
M
achines are not exactly chummy. Granted,
they are now able to accumulate an incredible
amount of knowledge and one recently even became
the world champion in the board game Go. Nevertheless, despite all the advances made in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), these soulless devices cannot
converse with human beings on an equal footing (even
if many of them look shockingly human and can even
fake emotions). Machines, however, communicate not
only with human beings, but increasingly – one could
almost say “naturally” – with one another as well. This
has far-reaching consequences.
It is already commonplace that devices such as automated machines, vehicles and robots exchange information with one another or with a control centre. This
was made possible by rapid digitalisation and flood of
data driven by the Internet. The trend is just as fastpaced as it is unstoppable. It encompasses nearly all
sectors of the economy and is transforming them in an
unparalleled manner. Talk already began long ago of a
“fourth industrial revolution” – on the heels of the
steam engine, the assembly line, and industrial robots.
Efficient process automation
When machines exchange information in automated
processes, this opens up entirely new perspectives especially for industry. For a few years now, the world has
been in an uproar about the buzzword “M2M” (which
stands for “machine to machine”). “M2M offers opportunities and business models that we aren’t even able
to imagine yet,” enthuses Eric Schneider of the M2M
Alliance, which has 85 members from fourteen countries, making it the world’s largest industry association.
Once a year, the M2M solution vendors meet with
users at the “M2M Summit”. The industry event, which
is the largest of its kind in Europe with some 700 attendees from thirty countries and nearly sixty exhibitors, regularly demonstrates the breakneck pace at
which networking of smart devices and systems is advancing. At the most recent event, held last September
in Aachen, one of the keynote speakers of the congress, Hamid-Reza Nazemann, already spoke of the
“Internet of everything”. It really does seem to be just
a matter of time until, in a manner of speaking, everything is networked with everything.
39
OHB MAGAZINE | 2016 // OPEN SPACE
M2M is already bringing forth innovative new products and developments nearly every day. Examples
can be found in the smart home, track & trace and automotive sectors, but of course such products have
since found their way into space flight as well. In its
Alphasat mission, for example, ESA is using a pro­
prietary AI system called TECO (“Technology Demonstration Payload – ESA Coordination Office”) to coordinate the operation of four small test payloads that
were launched into earth orbit together with the telecommunications satellite.
Machines are learning at an ever-accelerating pace
In the estimation of M2M visionary Eric Schneider,
“Sooner or later, ninety per cent of the manufacturing
companies in Germany will be unable to avoid M2M
technologies if they want to hold on to their leadership
in the international market.” “Later” definitely does
not mean several years from now. After all, this development is founded on computer processors, the performance of which doubles approximately every eighteen months according to Moore’s still valid law. In
other words: computing power is growing exponentially. The same holds true for data volume, which is
likewise skyrocketing.
Because the only way to make sense of this torrent of
data is with sophisticated AI (keyword: “Big Data”),
the major players in Silicon Valley such as Apple,
Google and Facebook have swallowed up numerous
start-ups with corresponding expertise and employ the
world’s top AI experts. They are acutely aware that the
degree to which a company is sustainable will soon be
a matter chiefly of who has the smartest – in other
words, most intelligent – machines and is most efficient when it comes to processing the gigantic volumes
of data. By analogy, the same holds true for entire national economies. No modern industrialised nation can
afford any longer to wait and see what the others do.
Thanks above all to learning algorithms and artificial
neural networks, AI is advancing by leaps and bounds
that are too great to permit this. In so-called “deep
learning”, artificial neural networks are arranged in
layers that use characteristics of ever-increasing complexity in order, for example, to determine the contents of an image. Large data pools can be categorised
in this manner. The voice recognition modules in Apple
and Android smartphones are based on this method.
Europe is trying to keep up with the times, among
other things through the Human Brain Project (www.
humanbrainproject.eu). The initiative involves the
participation of more than 100 research institutions
in twenty-four countries. Its goal: to get the individual
silicon transistors of a chip to create electrical circuits
that process data and communicate with one another
with the help of electrical signals – much like the neurons in biological brains. This would permit machines
to learn in much the same manner as human beings,
but much faster.
Unquestionably, there is no stopping the transformation into Industry 4.0. The market potential of KI,
M2M, and IoT is too vast to permit it. Regrettably,
hardly any time remains to discuss the consequences
for society and carefully weigh the potential risks. If
machines become more and more intelligent and increasingly communicate with one another auton­
omously, will they determine one day that they no
longer need human beings at all?
Recommended reading:
The moment when machines can begin correcting themselves is known as “singularity”. In
Peter Watts’ latest novel, Echopraxia, this has
long since occurred: at the beginning of the 22nd
century, humanity has evolved into a new digital species. Together
with a vampire, a group of zombies and a horde of monks, one of the
last ordinary human beings takes part in a space expedition that for
ever changes his understanding of human history.
Peter Watts: Echopraxia, Tor Books St Martins Pr Inc, 2014,
New York City, 384 pages EUR 24.60
Our dreams we chase.
Outer Space.
THE AEROSPACE FAMILY
People are fascinated and captivated by space. That particularly applies
to us because we appreciate the benefits that space flight offers
humanity and society. We assume responsibility for this. As a leading
company in the aviation and space industry, OHB is committed to
­clever ideas, innovative technologies and an engaging team spirit in
a strong and international family of companies. With plenty of space
for passionate specialists who never stop dreaming.
www.ohb.de