Welcome to MORABA
The Mobile Rocket Base (“Mobile Raketenbasis” (MORABA)) is a department of Space Operations and Astronaut Training of the German Aerospace Center, based at the Oberpfaffenhofen site.
MORABA has been carrying out scientific sounding missions with unmanned rockets and balloons, and developing the mechanical and electrical systems required for such missions since the 60s.
The areas of application for sounding rockets are diverse and range from atmospheric research, astronomy, hypersonic research and technology testing to experiments in zero gravity.
MORABA has developed a unique mobile infrastructure and hardware for the planning, preparation and implementation of sounding projects. In principle, it can be used to launch a rocket from anywhere on Earth within a short space of time.
This experience and competence is valued and sought after by national and international facilities, industry and institutions of higher education.
- Mobile infrastructure for rocket launches and satellite TT&C
- Launch services
- Launch sites
- Technology and applications for suborbital missions
For detailled information on our services and mobile infrastructure please see the MORABA portfolio documents:
DLR_RB_Portfolio_MORABA_Mobile-Launch-and-Range-Infrastructure.pdf
DLR_RB_Portfolio_MORABA-Sounding-Rocket-Flight-Experiments.pdf
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MORABA News
MAPHEUS-16 sounding rocket successfully launched
Experimentation in microgravity is a key element for many new technologies enabling new insights. In microgravity physical, chemical and biological processes occur differently, sometimes occurring faster than on Earth. For this reason, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has regularly conducted flights with sounding rockets for more than 15 years as part of its MAPHEUS programme. At 05:05 CET on 12 November 2025, the MAPHEUS-16 mission launched from the Swedish Space Corporation’s (SSC) Esrange Space Center to begin its journey into weightlessness.
ATHEAt flight experiment successfully launched
In the future, an increasing number of components in space transportation systems are set to be reusable – that is, they can used several times, making them more cost effective. As such, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is developing the necessary reusability technologies and testing them using sounding rockets. On 6 October 2025 at 10:45 local time, the ATHEAt flight experiment successfully took off from its launch site on the island of Andøya in northern Norway.