One of the most important parts of a space mission is communication. The exchange of information between astronauts and base is crucial for a mission’s success. The astronaut often doesn’t have the necessary attentiveness or knowledge to keep an eye on all important factors. The communications specialist LANCOM Systems provides the technical equipment for the field simulation “Mars2013”. Dr Gernot Grömer, head of the field mission and chairman of the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF), explains in detail what constitutes a space mission on Mars and which role communication is going to play. more...

The Red Planet has fascinated humans for eternities. As the planet closest to Earth, a manned space mission is at issue. The German Center for Air and Space Travel (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) investigates many Mars-related subjects. After Design & Data has only recently accompanied the field mission “Mars2013”, this time the scientists were interviewed in the matter of the Red Planet. The filming took place in Berlin. more...

So far, we’ve only seen Mars through the eyes of machines. Man has not yet set foot onto the red planet. The first manned mission to Mars is in the future. Before this, a lot needs to be tested, among other things the suits of the astronauts. We attended the Austrian Space Forum’s (ÖWF) field simulation “Mars2013” for two days – in the faraway Moroccan desert. more...

The question how Earth can be saved from asteroid impact is not a trivial one. This is why it’s understandable that a room full of experts is necessary to solve these problems. The Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) is perfectly designed for solving such challenges. We visited the CDF and filmed over the working specialists’ shoulders. more...

13.7 billion years ago, the universe was born. This is where the iPhone and iPad App “Back in Time” begins, which leads from the emergence of the galaxy and first life on Earth to the time of dinosaurs. It ultimately arrives at the year 2000, describing the human genome. That’s a lot to tell. The question is – can 13.7 billion years of history be packed into one app, or is such a feat too ambitioned after all? more...

The sun, the moon and the stars have been a concept in people’s minds for millennia – even when the believed to be living on a flat disk. Science has uncovered many mysteries of space. But how about knowledge of the stars? Design & Data asked this question in Europe’s streets. more...

We would like to thank all customers, colleagues and friends for an exciting year and are looking forward to see you again in 2013. The time until then – more precisely from Saturday, 22 December 2012 until Sunday, 6 January 2013 – our agency will be closed. We wish you a lot of white snow, Merry Christmas, mulled wine, marzipan, relaxation and the best possible start into the New Year! more...

That space is romantically called an ocean of stars, is not by chance. In the 16th century, seafarers and explorers used the fixed stars in the sky for navigation and orientation. Modern satellite technology also uses the starlit sky to find out the exact position. But who manufactures the corresponding technology? A market leader in this discipline is the Thuringian company Jena-Optronik GmbH. Their star sensors function as the eyes of the satellites. Design & Data produced a film which leads through the fascinating world of the star sensor and visualizes the concept. more...

Growing up in Vienna and learning in Cologne. This doesn’t just sound like a good life, you can hear it, too – and this provides a good deal of cheerfulness in our offices: Anya Georgieva. Four years ago, she moved from Austria to the banks of the Rhine river, and is now the very first apprentice at Design & Data. Since August, she’s been studying the trade of an audiovisual media designer, including the basic software and techniques for film, web and print. Welcome aboard! more...

In the US crime series CSI, investigators are interested in the smallest measurable traces to solve a case. For ESA, this is no different. In the Materialistic Laboratory, engineers search for faults in the material, which might cause the success or failure of a mission. In three short episodes, we show the ESA investigators at work – and how they solve the problem. more...