NRW, ESA and DLR expand SpaceHub Cologne

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North Rhine-Westphalia is further expanding Cologne‘s space sector with the expansion of SpaceHub Cologne. The European Space Agency (ESA) site in Cologne will be expanded with a new building on the grounds of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). On November 20, 2025, Mona Neubaur, Deputy Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Dr. Walther Pelzer, DLR Executive Board Member and Director General of the German Space Agency within the DLR, Klaus Hamacher, Deputy Chairman of the DLR Executive Board, and Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human-Assisted and Robotic Exploration at ESA, signed a corresponding letter of intent.

“North Rhine-Westphalia is demonstrating today what this state stands for: courage, technological sovereignty, and a clear will to shape the future. By relocating the ESA Directorate to Cologne, we are not only creating highly qualified jobs – we are permanently anchoring North Rhine-Westphalia at the heart of European space exploration and giving research and companies a boost for the next major steps in exploration,” emphasized Mona Neubaur, Deputy Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

“With the complete relocation of the relevant ESA Directorate to Cologne, human spaceflight and exploration will have a new common home in Germany. This will further strengthen European expertise in human and robotic exploration and improve the conditions for future ESA missions, training programs and international cooperation – an important signal shortly before the ESA Ministerial Council meeting, which will take place next week in Bremen,” Dr. Walther Pelzer said, welcoming the signing.

“The DLR site in Cologne is an integral part of the aerospace landscape of North Rhine-Westphalia. The planned investments will further advance the development of the Space Hub Cologne. This also includes strengthening DLR’s research and development activities in the fields of aerospace medicine and exploration,” emphasizes Klaus Hamacher, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of DLR.

“This new building is an important step in the development of our directorate. We will almost triple the number of staff on site, and the European Astronaut Centre will become our new main base for ESA’s exploration activities,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Astronautic and Robotic Exploration at ESA.

The financing for the planned new building will be secured by the ESA and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The building will be constructed on the DLR campus in Cologne. The German Space Agency within the DLR acts as the central interface between the ESA and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on behalf of the German Federal Government. The expansion is supported by the Federal Government through the responsible Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) via Germany’s contributions to the ESA. The BMFTR supports Germany’s strong position in these programs by tasking the German Space Agency within the DLR with strategically strengthening the ESA and coherently representing national interests.

Cologne already boasts existing infrastructure, including the LUNA lunar simulation facility and the European Astronaut Centre (EAC), home to European astronauts. The new building aims to leverage synergies for an integrated European exploration program, bringing robotic and human-assisted exploration together under one roof and strengthening Germany’s position as a central pillar of European spaceflight. This will establish a fully-fledged ESA base in Cologne and attract ESA exploration specialists to the city. To achieve this, additional workspace will need to be created and the existing infrastructure modernized. The planning and construction phase is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with completion expected within three to three and a half years.