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Germany preparing for unmanned moon mission

German space agency vessel to orbit by 2013

Toytown Germany > Discussion forum > Germany-wide > German news

DoubleVision

Mar 2 2007, 6:16 am

Walter Doellinger, the head of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raum or DLR) has announced that the DLR would be ready to send an unmanned space vessel to orbit the moon by 2013.

After the DLR submitted their mission plans to the German parliament Doellinger said, "We want to show that Germany has the know-how." Britain and Italy are also currently planning similar unmanned shuttles to orbit the moon. The German government will be mulling over the project. Helge Engelhard, of the economy ministry, said Berlin was "not negatively disposed" towards a moon mission which would cost the German government approximately 300 to 400 million euros.

QUOTE (Financial Times Deutschland)

The largest German space mission firms OHB-System and EADS Astrium are already working on the project. OHB-System has developed plans for a landing vehicle, while EADS Astrium have suggested the building of a radio telescope on the earth satellite. With this scientists could investigate the beginning of the universe. The European booster rocket Ariane 5 could be used to transport the German probe to the moon.

News report from the Financial Times Deutschland (in German): Deutschland prüft Mond-Mission

German Aerospace Center website (in English): Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raum

DoubleVision

Mar 2 2007, 7:30 am

This is from Bits of News: Germany Going to the Moon?

QUOTE

There's been a lot of talk the last couple of years about returning to the moon. China has made great strides with their space program, having actually had people in orbit. They've made noises about a moon mission. So has India, and even Japan. The US of course was shooting for Mars, according to President George Bush a while back. Though precious little has been heard of of those plans of late.
But everyone has just sort of discounted one of the greatest industrial powerhouses, Germany. It's not as though they don't have the tradition. Germany was after all the first nation to blast a man-made object into space, when their V-2 ballistic missiles were first tested and reached an altitude of 189 km in 1944.[...]They're now seriously talking about sending an unmanned shuttle to the moon by 2013. And unlike say India, when the Germans say they're going to do something, I tend to take their word for it.

Financial Times Deutschland's slide show of the vehicle's planned design here.

Uncle Nick

Mar 2 2007, 9:37 am

Why don't Germany, Britain and Italy get together and finance a more adventurous project, say for example a mission to one of the other planets in our solar system?

Derekbeggs

Mar 2 2007, 12:40 pm

And the benefit of this would be exactly?

I could think of many better ways to spend 400 million.

Why doesnt Germany break with tradition and do something original for a change instead of copying what the rest of the world does.

Punchbear

Mar 2 2007, 1:29 pm

Dear sir, could I have the €XXk in Arbeitslosenversicherung I've paid, but will never see, back before it goes on rocket fuel or monkeystraps or a lunar years supply of banana puree and superstrength bendy straws? Please Mr. Germanspaceracedirectorbloke, please.

DrivinWest

Mar 2 2007, 1:57 pm

QUOTE (Uncle Nick @ Mar 2 2007, 9:37 am)

Why don't Germany, Britain and Italy get together and finance a more adventurous project

In short, because it really doesn't make it an easier or cheaper to do so. They may have three times the money at hand but the difficulties more than triple. ESA, on the whole, is a cock-up. I am employed by means of DLR in one of ESA's projects though so I must give them at least some credit for having fantastic hiring practices.

Batman509

Mar 8 2007, 3:59 pm

Germans and English couldn't work with Italians in harmony. Why circle the moon? 12 different men have already walked and drove all over it. Let's go to Mars. That cowboy has got the right idea.

HEM

Mar 8 2007, 4:03 pm

Has April 1st come early - or is this left over from Karneval?

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