Extraterrestrial spaceflight

This working group deals with technologies, concepts and systems for future extraterrestrial missions as well as for orbital and planetary stations, bases and infrastructures. In particular, the focus is on missions to the Moon, Mars and small bodies, small satellites, rovers, autonomous systems, communication and navigation concepts, scientific payloads, energy supply, logistics, ISRU, habitat and station concepts as well as operating scenarios for a long-term presence outside the Earth. The aim is to bundle technical issues, develop new project ideas and prepare contributions to future exploration architectures.

This working group is dedicated to long-term, visionary and at the same time scientifically sound concepts of space travel that go beyond classic Moon and Mars missions. These include interstellar precursor missions, missions to the outer solar system and beyond the heliopause, novel propulsion and sailing concepts, long-term autonomy, communication over extreme distances, miniaturised probes, swarm concepts and scientific objectives for the exploration of interstellar space. The working group will investigate such topics in a mission-analytical, technological and scientifically serious manner and at the same time serve as a platform for future-orientated design, study and junior research projects.