Munich/Bremen, 28 March 2024 - The Heinrich Hertz communications satellite commissioned by the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Centre (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) and realised and operated by OHB has successfully commenced scientific operations. Launched on 6 July 2023 at 00:00 CEST and placed in geostationary orbit at 0.5 degrees East, the satellite was recently used to test the functionality and capacity of the ILKA mobile satellite communication system. ILKA is a portable KU-band antenna developed under the leadership of Munich-based space specialist HPS GmbH for use in extreme situations such as natural disasters, on expeditions or for special operations by the police, intelligence services and the military. In a field test, the antenna was set up on the roof of a building and contact was established with the Heinrich Hertz satellite. Signals were both successfully sent to and received from the satellite to test the performance of the newly developed ground antenna. The tests that have now been carried out are the first in a series of experiments planned with Heinrich Hertz over the coming months and years. The German Space Agency at the DLR in Bonn was responsible for the implementation. OHB Digital Connect provided support by configuring the satellite payload and monitoring the transmitted and received signals, among other things.
The Heinrich Hertz mission and its partners
The Heinrich Hertz mission marks the first launch of a dedicated German communications satellite for researching and testing new technologies and communications scenarios. The mission will thus make an important contribution to Germany’s information society. The Heinrich Hertz mission is being led by the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) in Bonn on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz, BMWK) and with the participation of the Federal Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, BMVg). OHB System AG was contracted to develop and build the satellite. The companies IABG GmbH, MDA AG and TESAT GmbH & Co. KG are also involved in the development and testing of the satellite. OHB Digital Connect is responsible for the ground segment in collaboration with CGI. The satellite control centre is located in Bonn. The locations for the mission’s new ground stations are in Hürth (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Neustrelitz (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Arianespace is responsible for launching the mission on board an Ariane 5 launch vehicle (VA261). A total of 42 partners are involved in the mission, of which 14 are involved in the scientific payload.
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