Core Functions
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The protection of space-based infrastructure and the safety and availability of related services and products for the armed forces and government institutions – such as police, emergency services and disaster relief – require precise and reliable knowledge of the space situation. The ability to establish a reliable space situational awareness picture is of crucial importance in this regard. The German Space Situational Awareness Centre (GSSAC) in Uedem, which has been operated jointly by the German Air Force and the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Centre DLRDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt since 2011, plays a central role in establishing the space situation. For the DEU government, it advises the German Federal Government on any space situational awareness (SSASpace Situational Awareness) topic. This facility ensures optimum and complementary use of Germany's SSASpace Situational Awareness resources.
With its core capabilities in space surveillance, space reconnaissance and space weather advisory, the centre identifies and assesses risks such as space debris, potential re-entries of space objects and the effects of space weather. Its tasks include, in particular:
The German Space Command coordinates all military space activities within the Bundeswehr. This includes the planning and conducting of space operations (SpOps) to ensure the secure operation of space systems and the reliable provision of space-based data, services and products in support of military missions.
The J2 division analyses foreign space activities and assesses the intentions and capabilities of other space actors in order to generate the overall situation picture.
During the planning phase, the J5 division identifies planned space usage and dependencies of deployed forces. Based on this information, it develops a complementary plan for the space domain and thereby establishes the own situation picture. Within the J3 Space Operations Centre, all ongoing operations are monitored. Reports on RED and BLUE situations are combined with the space situational picture to generate the overall operational picture for the space domain.
Whenever pre-planned procedures or sudden changes in the situation require action, coordination is initiated from here. If routine operational procedures must be adjusted to protect a system from a threat, all stakeholders must be informed about potential limitations in use and work together in a coordinated manner.
This coordination is based on a plan developed by the Joint Space Operations Planning Group, covering anticipated scenarios.
The Capability Development and Cooperation Division focuses on the further development of military space capabilities and the strengthening of national and international partnerships. The Capability Development branch addresses a wide range of conceptual and technical development topics in the space domain. This also includes supporting projects, the procurement process, research and development activities and the supervision of studies. The Cooperation branch has extensive experience in national and international cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral. It serves as the central point of contact for international liaison organisations, for governmental partners involved in the national use of space and related security tasks, as well as for commercial actors in the space sector.