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VIP Interview
Sigmar Wittig
Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)
FLUG REVUE: Professor Wittig, you will be handing over your post to a successor in the spring of 2007. For an outsider, you had a happy time at the DLR. Would you agree with that?
Professor Wittig: If you are describing the present situation, then you are definitely right, since at the moment we are enjoying a kind of harvest phase. But when I look back on the full four and a half years, the picture appears somewhat different. When I came to the DLR, we had a situation described as “nominal constancy of resources”, which in reality meant a funding meltdown. This made the period 2003/2004 a difficult time. Moreover, 11 September, the Ariane 5 ECA and the Columbia disaster caused us additional problems. The Columbia disaster in particular revived the public discussion regarding the point of and the technical possibilities of manned space flight.
FR: As the head of your establishment you must have to be extremely diplomatic, especially when it comes to the equitable distribution of funding. Do you think that you have always found the best compromise in this area?
Prof. Wittig: Naturally I am confronted with widely differing, perfectly legitimate goals and desires, which I would be happy to fulfill. On the other hand, we do have our strategic requirements and we submit proposals to ESA especially, in consultation with the scientists, industry and our international partners. For example, we are leading the extraterrestrial scientific programme, we are the biggest single contributor to the ISS and we are performing a leading role on the Galileo programme. Then on top of this is our own research and development work. Reconciling all of that is often a challenge. We can't always satisfy every interest group, but even so industry especially tells us that we have achieved a lot.
FR: On the other hand there is certain anxiety in industry with regard to long-term planning.
Prof. Wittig: That is correct. But our strategy is quite clear. We have invested a lot in the ISS and now is the time to exploit the fruits of that investment. The next step will be automated missions. It would be imprudent in the short-term to think of manned missions to the moon or Mars, but in the long term we see opportunities here as well – if we have gained enough experience on the ISS. Here I agree with the NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin. But the Americans also have totally different resources available to them. NASA views the ISS as a practice ground for further projects, whereas we would prefer to make greater use of it for science and technology. Before one can start thinking about the next step, one must have a firm grip on what one has already accomplished. But above all, we have to start thinking now about what to do when the shuttles are retired in 2010.
FR: Notwithstanding this, industry has put forward proposals, for example, for the erection of a radio telescope on the moon. Do you see any possibility of implementing such ideas, including with assistance from the DLR?
Prof. Wittig: We are an integral part of ESA. Hence such proposals have to be discussed with the entire community. First of all we need a cost-benefit analysis, and naturally there are various viewpoints. Research scientists assess such proposals differently from engineers. To this extent a decision has not yet been taken, but it is highly interesting food for thought.
FR: Scientists often develop high-flying plans without first asking where the money is going to come from, whereas engineers tend to approach new projects much more pragmatically. Have you actually succeeded in reconciling these different standpoints?
Prof. Wittig: I believe that, especially recently, we have been steadily moving closer. A good example here is the SOFIA telescope. The mutual understanding is there, but we also want to stress the different interests, as this promotes constructive discussion. On the other hand, the need to retain technological competence is extremely important, particularly for spaceflight. Once Columbus is delivered, for example, it will not be feasible to order all those involved to undergo a radical reorientation, they will have to be steered in that direction only slowly.
FR: Do you think your background as an engineer has helped you to get to grips with your work at the helm of the DLR?
Prof. Wittig: Naturally I would not like to compare and value scientists and engineers, but I stand by my origins as an enthusiastic mechanical engineer. This means that it is natural for me to speak the same language with partners from industry, something which has often been a help.
FR: If you were allowed to implement one project without any financial worries, what would it be?
Prof. Wittig: That is a very difficult question as I might well have ideas both in the extraterrestrial area and also in manned spaceflight and earth observation. This would include a robot mission to Mars in pursuit of our goals, but I am already awaiting the results of the Rosetta comet mission with bated breath. Developing a safe means of transport to the ISS would also be tempting, and as far as earth observation is concerned, I wish there were greater industrial use of this.
Matthias Gründer was asking the questions
From page 19 of FLUG REVUE 12/2006
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