资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

The spherical, cornflower-blue object onthe cover does not come from the realm of botany. Could it be a sponge? Air pockets have animportant role to play here, after all, as they turn raw materials into a high-tech substance.This is an aerogel. Lightweight, electricallyconductive and thermally stable - combining

all of these properties in a single material fascinates Barbara Milow. They make aerogels of enormous interest, whether as stable materialsin their own right or for use in filters, as insulation or even as implants. Milow and her teamare constantly creating new aerogels and discovering interesting further applications that mayextend their use to electric cars or aircraft.

We mentioned plants. What would you like? Toma-toes, herbs or rocket, perhaps? We have themall - in Antarctica, no less. There, DLR researcher Paul Zabel investigated whether plants can thrive without soil and sunlight in the EDEN ISS laboratory - and he succeeded. This process is suitablefor inhospitable regions on Earth and for spaceexploration missions. That said, the Universe cannow be explored virtually, as DLR researchers aredemonstrating with a virtual reality system inwhich the Solar System is within arm’s reach. Simulations are also playing an increasingly important role elsewhere - in aircraft design, for example.In future, the certification process will be able todispense with tedious testing and countless hoursof flying. DLR is creating new techniques in this area, primarily through the use of high-performance computers that make the processfaster and more straightforward. This is also opening up possibilities for completely new typesof aircraft. The climate impact of air transport willno longer be a concern if DLR’s vision of zero-emissions aircraft becomes a reality - a topic thatwe examine in this issue.

Last but not least, the July 2019 issue would notbe complete without mentioning the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing. We haveput together a selection of items about the Apollo missions and hope that you find them interesting, along with all of the other articleson aeronautics, space, energy, transport and digitalisation!