Dr. Rainer Sandau

Speech Title:   Status, opportunities and challenges of EO with small satellites


Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics(IAA)


Dr. Rainer Sandau is retired from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and acts currently as 
  • adjunct Professor at Baylor University, Texas, USA, 
  • Director Satellites and Space Applications of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), 
  • Chair of the International Advisory Committee (IPAC) of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), 
  • Honorary President of the "Society for Academic Youth Promotion " (gemeinnützige Gesellschaft zur Förderung der akademischen Jugend, GeFaN), Berlin, Germany. 
    He has over 30 years of experience in airborne and spaceborne activities. He has led and been involved in instrumentations of four space missions to Venus, Mars and Earth, and also in numerous concepts for instruments and small satellites for or with different countries and space agencies, e.g. Argentina, UK, Russia, Taiwan, Tunesia, ESA, NASA, ranging from Earth observation applications, e.g. the concept of a German stereo camera on-board the French SPOT 5 mission, to a lander concept jointly done with NASA/JPL for ESA’s cometary mission ROSETTA. His stereo camera WAOSS (Wide-Angle Optoelectronic Stereo Scanner), developed for the Russian Mars 96 mission, flies also on DLR’s micro satellite BIRD, dedicated for forest fire detection and assessment from the Earth orbit, and was also used as the basis for the technology transfer he did as project manager resulting in the production of Leica’s ADS 40, the first commercially available digital airborne camera for photogrammetry and remote sensing.

    During his career he held different positions, including Deputy Director of the Institute of Space Research in Berlin, Germany, and Director R&D of the Swiss/US company LH Systems based in Switzerland (Leica company). He is member of various national and international associations where he served in different functions. E.g., he represents the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) at the UN COPUOS, and is emeritus member of the Board of Trustees of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), 

    He authored or co-authored over 250 publications, holds over 25 patents, and is co-author or editor/co-editor of 27 books or conference proceedings all dealing with the topics small satellite missions, remote sensing and photogrammetry, and member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 

    He lectures at Universities in Europe and abroad, is Chairman or Program Committee member of several international conferences, and holds prestigious German and international awards.