Aiming to Develop a New Re-entry Spacecraft for European Market NeedsElevationSpace Inc. (Co-Founder & CEO: Ryohei Kobayashi, headquartered in Sendai, Japan) announces it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in advanced space transportation and microgravity utilization with the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; headquartered in Cologne, Germany; hereinafter “DLR”), the national aeronautics and space research center of the Federal Republic of Germany.From left, Niklas Reinke, Director of DLR Tokyo Office; Ryohei Kobayashi, Co-Founder & CEO of ElevationSpaceBackground and Purpose1. Re-entry and Recovery TechnologyReturning materials and cargo from space to Earth requires sophisticated technologies capable of withstanding extreme aerodynamic heating during atmospheric re-entry, as well as precise flight guidance and control. Verification of these technologies primarily relies on ground testing—such as wind tunnels—and numerical simulations. However, complete reproduction of actual atmospheric re-entry conditions on the ground remains extremely challenging, and the scarcity of flight data has presented a major obstacle in research and development. DLR possesses world-class research infrastructure in this field in Europe, with extensive flight test experience using sounding rockets.Under this MoU, the two organizations will combine DLR's ground testing facilities, analysis technologies, and flight data obtained by sounding rockets with ElevationSpace's atmospheric reentry systems. By cross-referencing ground test data and simulations with actual flight data, the partnership aims to advance expertise in aerodynamics, Thermal Protection Systems (TPS),health monitoring systems, and flight control for lift-guided re-entry vehicles, laying the groundwork for future reusable space transportation systems.2. Microgravity UtilizationBecause microgravity environments enable the creation of material compositions and structures that are difficult to produce on Earth, in-space material research and additive manufacturing (3D printing) have attracted significant attention as key technologies to support future in-orbit component manufacturing, repair, and long-term space activities. DLR has accumulated extensive experience conducting microgravity experiments using sounding rockets; however, the duration of microgravity provided by sounding rockets is limited to only a few minutes. Securing means for longer-duration experiments and for returning manufactured samples safely to Earth for detailed analysis has become an essential next step.Furthermore, with the retirement of the International Space Station (ISS) approaching, ensuring a continuous environment for European researchers and commercial companies to conduct ongoing experiments in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is a shared challenge. ElevationSpace and DLR will explore a joint framework utilizing ElevationSpace's "ELS-R" in-orbit demonstration and recovery satellite platform to enable longer-duration microgravity material experiments and manufacturing demonstrations, along with end-to-end sample return and analysis. This initiative aims to establish a clear pathway from ground and sounding-rocket research to full in-orbit demonstration.Future CollaborationGoing forward, ElevationSpace and DLR will advance technical exchanges and evaluate candidate themes for their first joint experiment and demonstration mission utilizing ElevationSpace's spacecraft.Comment: ElevationSpace Co-Founder & CEO Ryohei KobayashiWe are deeply honored to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with DLR, a leading aerospace research institution in Europe. Return technology—safely bringing space-generated outcomes back to Earth—is an essential element for sustainably utilizing Low Earth Orbit as a platform for research and industry. By combining DLR's long-standing expertise in re-entry research and material/manufacturing research with our orbital recovery capabilities, we look forward to contributing to a new foundation that supports space utilization for both Japan and Europe in the post-ISS era.Comment: Director of DLR Tokyo Office Niklas ReinkeI am especially happy and proud of our new cooperation, as we build on a rich heritage of Japanese-German space cooperation. As early as the 1990s, our countries worked together on the EXPRESS mission to study re-entry technologies. DLR was later a partner in Hayabusa2 and is now a partner in MMX, both outstanding re-entry missions as well. Through our collaboration with ElevationSpace, we look forward to advancing DLR's re-entry research and in-space manufacturing research to a new stage: returning from Low Earth Orbit to Earth. We are excited to deepen research and development collaboration in the space sector between Germany and Japan through our partnership with an innovative Japanese startup.About DLR (German Aerospace Center)The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is the national research center for aeronautics and space of the Federal Republic of Germany. It conducts research and development in aeronautics, space, energy, transport, security, and digitalization. Headquartered in Cologne, DLR employs approximately 12,000 people across 51 institutes and facilities in Germany. The German Space Agency at DLR plans and implements the national space program on behalf of the federal government. More information: https://www.dlr.de/About ElevationSpaceElevationSpace is a space startup with the vision of building an in-orbit transportation network to connect cargo, crew, and all orbital operations. In collaboration with Tohoku University and JAXA, ElevationSpace is leveraging Japan's world-class re-entry technology to develop a space transportation service that facilitates the return of goods from space to Earth. The company is focused on creating small spacecraft capable of transporting items that have been experimented on, developed, and manufactured in a microgravity environment back to Earth.More information: https://elevation-space.com/en