In the project GESTRA Vernetzung, Fraunhofer IESE is collaborating with Fraunhofer FHR to develop concepts for the control and networked operation of various GESTRA sensors. IESE contributes in particular with its expertise in software and requirements engineering, quality assurance, and safety and security, while taking into account the requirements of the ECSS standard.
Last modified:
GESTRA (German Experimental Space Surveillance and Tracking Radar) is a radar system developed in Germany for observing and tracking objects in low Earth orbit, particularly space debris and satellites. The system was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR on behalf of the German Space Agency within the DLR. It is designed to collect orbital data on space objects, thereby contributing to collision avoidance, space situational awareness, and the protection of critical space infrastructure. GESTRA operates in the microwave range and monitors low-Earth orbit at altitudes ranging from approximately 300 to 3,000 kilometers. The system consists of a transmitter and a receiver unit with phase-controlled antennas that can change their line of sight within a few milliseconds.
The expansion projects GESTRA EUSST (European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking) and GESTRA Vernetzung are designed to further enhance the system’s capabilities, primarily through additional receiver units, networked operating modes, and advanced operational and data analysis software. Fraunhofer IESE contributes its expertise in software and systems engineering for aerospace to the GESTRA Networking project. The focus is on ECSS-compliant planning and management of software development, traceability, V&V planning, software quality assurance, as well as safety and security for the networked operation of all GESTRA transmitters and receivers. ECSS stands for European Cooperation for Space Standardization.
Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE