adesso concludes space cooperation agreement with DLR

adesso is expanding its operations in the space sector after successfully reaching a cooperation agreement with the Institute of Aerospace Medicine within the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Within this partnership, adesso will be involved in upcoming DLR MAPHEUS launches through a range of research projects. The partners also aim to promote the up-and-coming new space sector. Start-ups will have the chance to become introduced to modern aerospace in the DLR Aeromedical FabLab.

February 2024 will see the launch of the DLR MAPHEUS-14 research rocket to an altitude of 260 kilometres from Kiruna in north-west Sweden. As with the DLR’s previous MAPHEUS missions (MAPHEUS: Material Research at Zero Gravity), adesso will be accompanying its third successive launch by providing hardware and software solutions and carrying out experiments together with DLR scientists. These experiments in a zero-gravity environment are aimed at delivering key scientific findings relating to secure sensor networks, the preservation of the evidential value of sensor data in space, IT security and data encryption in a number of areas, including for life support systems.

Secure data transfer for secure life support

In the MAPHEUS-12 mission, the 007/Blofeld experiment equipped with adesso software successfully demonstrated that real-time computing, sensor systems and data transfers were secure for the entire rocket flight – including during a six-minute period of zero gravity. This has proven to be a valuable discovery, as effective cryptography is essential to the secure long-term operation of life-support systems and spacecraft in outer space. During MAPHEUS-13, experiments were successfully expanded to include secure telemetry and the successful deployment of post-quantum cryptography. The cooperation agreement ensures that these kinds of tests will continue in future DLR MAPHEUS missions.

DLR and adesso open up market for new space start-ups

DLR and adesso will also be focusing on a completely new area within the scope of their cooperation: making it easier for fledgling companies to access the space industry. Alongside the established players in the industry, a whole host of new start-ups are looking to enter the market. There is a rapidly growing number of start-ups in the new space sector in Germany alone. Coming from a variety of backgrounds – including material sciences, computer science, biomedicine and biotechnology – these companies are all aiming to perform experiments in outer space, where materials, for example, behave completely differently than on Earth.

Kick-start from the DLR Aeromedical FabLab

The expertise of DLR Aeromedical FabLab in Cologne – as the name suggests, a mixture of fabrication facility and laboratory – will serve as a point of contact for start-ups moving forward. Here they will be able to conduct experiments and prepare for missions to outer space that are not only aimed at fundamental research. Start-ups can draw on the support of the DLR and adesso in order to make the best possible use of the scarce opportunities for trips to outer space.

“We want to give scientists and companies in the new space sector the opportunity to conduct experiments in space with few entry barriers,” says Dr Jens Hauslage, scientist at the DLR. “That being said, outer space projects are extremely complex, and newcomers in particular require experienced guidance, which is available at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine.”

Dr. Jens Hauslage, scientist at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine. (Copyright: DLR)

Most new space companies have little to no experience when it comes to missions to outer space, telemetry, secure data storage or rocket propulsion. Besides raising venture capital, this is the greatest obstacle to research projects in outer space. “We want to act as a link between the DLR and start-ups interested in the new space industry,” says Christian Kahlo, Chief Security Architect at adesso. “Our job will be to accompany these start-ups on their journey with a mixture of coaching, consulting and advance qualification.”