Jena-Optronik GmbH

For many decades, the company has been supporting pioneering space missions with its products. The star sensors are now standard on satellites everywhere in space - invented and developed in Jena. Not to be forgotten are the high demands on the sensors that have to survive in space. The decisive factors for success are robustness, accuracy, reliability and, above all, service life.

The rendezvous sensors from Jena-Optronik (LiDAR RVS), on the other hand, enable the International Space Station ISS to be supplied by unmanned transport spacecraft which, thanks to the sensors, can dock fully automatically with the space station. A major highlight was the docking of the first ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) "Jules Verne" with the ISS at an altitude of 340 kilometers on April 3, 2008. The operation, which was carried out by the space agency ESA, gave Europe a first in space travel. Incidentally, Jena-Optronik products are not only used in low-Earth orbit, but also on missions to the moon and Mars.

Furthermore, the sensors and camera systems are used in satellite communication, navigation and earth observation and thus significantly improve our everyday lives. The optical and electronic products are not only suitable for use in space, but also on Earth: For example, the technology also helps to better detect and understand climatic stresses to which the Earth is exposed.

Jena-Optronik is firmly anchored in Jena not only because of its name and history (its roots go back to VEB Carl Zeiss Jena), but also because of its strong regional ties. For example, the "Space Electronics" degree program was established in 2009 in cooperation with the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences in Jena. Students can thus gain an in-depth and practically relevant insight into electronics development for use in space, in addition to the theoretical fundamentals. The fact that the company is headquartered in Jena is probably self-explanatory.