🔹 ESA – European Space Agency
Type: Intergovernmental organization (22 member states)
Purpose: Conducts and coordinates space activities for Europe at the multinational level
Headquarters: Paris, France
Key Responsibilities:
- Designing and implementing European space programs (e.g. Copernicus, Ariane, Galileo)
- International cooperation (e.g. with NASA, JAXA)
- Managing European astronaut missions and science payloads
- Operating major research centers (e.g., ESTEC in the Netherlands, ESOC in Germany)
🔹 DLR – German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt)
Type: National research center (government-funded agency)
Purpose: Conducts Germany's national aerospace research & contributes to ESA missions
Headquarters: Cologne, Germany
Key Responsibilities:
- Aerospace research and development
- German space mission planning
- Operating national control centers (e.g., German Space Operations Center)
- Advising the German government on space policy
