DLR’s mission comprises the exploration of Earth and the Solar System and research for environmental protection. This includes the development of environment-friendly technologies for energy supply and future mobility, as well as for communications and security. DLR’s research portfolio ranges from fundamental research to the development of products for tomorrow. In this way, DLR contributes the acquired scientific and technical expertise to the enhancement of Germany as a location for industry and technology. DLR operates major research facilities for its own projects and as a service for clients and partners. It also fosters the development of the next generation of researchers, provides expert advisory services to the government and is a driving force in the regions where its facilities are located.
DLR has approximately 7,400 employees in 16 locations in Germany: Cologne (headquarters), Augsburg, Berlin, Bonn, Braunschweig, Bremen, Goettingen, Hamburg, Juelich, Lampoldshausen, Neustrelitz, Oberpfaffenhofen, Stade, Stuttgart, Trauen, and Weilheim. DLR also has offices in Brussels, Paris, Tokyo and Washington D.C.
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The ESA mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. ESA’s job is to draw up the European space programme and carry it through. ESA’s programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. ESA also works closely with space organisations outside Europe.
ESA’s headquarters are in Paris, which is where policies and programmes are decided. ESA also has sites in a number of European countries, each of which has different responsibilities: EAC, the European Astronauts Centre in Cologne, Germany; ESAC, the European Space Astronomy Centre, in Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain; ESOC, the European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany; ESRIN, the ESA centre for Earth Observation, in Frascati, near Rome, Italy; ESTEC, the European Space Research and Technology Centre, Noordwijk, the Netherlands; ECSAT, the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications, Harwell, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom; ESA Redu Centre, Belgium. Finally, the Agency has liaison offices in Belgium, USA and Russia, a launch base in French Guiana and ground/tracking stations in various parts of the world.
ESA has staff of more than 2,000 with an annual budget of about €4.28 billion / US$5.51 billion (2013).
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Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs some 40,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €14 billion per year.
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Gutronic
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Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Finmeccanica, is an Italian multinational aerospace, defence and security company headquartered in Rome in Italy and with operations worldwide.On 1 January 2016, Leonardo-Finmeccanica became a single industrial company by integrating the activities of its subsidiaries AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Selex ES, Oto Melara and WASS.
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