What WARR does

WARR (Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt — Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight) is a registered non-profit student association at the Technical University of Munich, founded in 1962 and described as the largest student group at TUM. It is organized around five project divisions: Rocketry (sounding rockets with in-house engine, structure, aerodynamics, and flight computer), MOVE (CubeSat and stratospheric balloon technology, including the MOVE-BEYOND satellite bus, DEDRA debris sensor, and DOSIS open-source satellite operating system), Space Labs (microgravity experiments including the ADDONISS neuron payload flown on the ISS in March 2023 and D.I.N.O.labs bio-indicator experiments on sounding rockets), Space Robotics (autonomous rovers including CRATER/MAREE for the European Rover Challenge, GRAKSLER space-elevator climbers with up to 100 kg payload capacity, and the REBELS lunar solar-sintering rover), and Model Rocketry. The organization has flight heritage across three 1U CubeSats — First-MOVE (2013, Dnepr), MOVE-II (2018, Falcon 9, still operational after 5+ years in a 575 km SSO), and MOVE-IIb (2019, Soyuz, deorbited December 2023) — and has published 30+ academic papers from the MOVE team alone.

WARR operates on a non-commercial model: it charges no membership fees, sells no products or services, and is funded by Technical University of Munich institutional support, competition prize money (DLR Überflieger 2, ESA IGLUNA, European Rover Challenge, Japan SPEC, REXUS/BEXUS), and roughly two dozen corporate sponsors providing cash and in-kind contributions (electronics components, manufacturing access, software licenses, solar cells). The customer base comprises two distinct groups: TUM students who join as voluntary members for hands-on aerospace engineering experience, and government research partners — primarily the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) — which provide competition infrastructure, launch campaign support, and collaborative research opportunities. Project work spans the full lifecycle from concept through launch and in-orbit operations, with technical subsystems including in-house PCBs, microcontrollers, real-time control software, ROS2-based rover autonomy, and sensor fusion combining cameras, LiDAR, and IMU inputs.

Name

WARR

Legal name

WARR e.V.

Website

https://warr.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

WARR is a non-profit student-run space R&D association at the Technical University of Munich, founded in 1962, building CubeSats, sounding rockets, autonomous rovers, and microgravity experiments with flight heritage on three in-orbit missions and active partnerships with DLR and ESA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Aerospace Engineering R&D

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

Keywords

• Student satellite development
• CubeSat engineering programs
• Sounding rocketry design
• Space robotics R&D
• Microgravity experiments

Headquarters

HQ city

Garching Bei München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University Funding (TUM): WARR receives funding from Technical University of Munich (TUM) as a student group affiliated with the Chair of Astronautics.
2. Competition Prize Money: WARR earns prize money through participation and wins at competitions such as European Rover Challenge, Space Elevator Competitions (SPEC Japan, EUSPEC), DLR/ESA student competitions (Überflieger, REXUS/BEXUS).
3. Corporate Sponsorships: WARR receives financial and in-kind support from corporate sponsors including TUM, TÜV SÜD Stiftung, Würth Elektronik, igus, SOLIDWORKS, 3DEXPERIENCE/Dassault Systèmes, STMicroelectronics, NVIDIA, Analog Devices/TRINAMIC, TACO Power, IDS Imaging, Blickfeld, HAKKO, EPC Co, Vista Point, Open Domain, 3D EDU Works, Maker-Space, Orbit Recycling, I-TECC, TNG Technology Consulting, WSPEC, Schmitt Elevators, and others. AzurSpace provided solar cell sponsorship for MOVE-II satellites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WARR is a student-run non-profit research organization at the Technical University of Munich that designs, builds, and operates real aerospace hardware — CubeSats, sounding rockets, autonomous rovers, space-elevator climbers, and microgravity experiments — across five project divisions. Students volunteer their time on full-lifecycle missions from concept and in-house subsystem development through integration, launch, and on-orbit operations. The organization collaborates with DLR, ESA, and more than 25 corporate sponsors while charging no fees to its student members.

Product overview

WARR (Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt - Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight) is a student organization at TU Munich founded in 1962, working on ambitious space projects. The organization operates four main project divisions: (1) MOVE focusing on satellite technology and CubeSats including MOVE-BEYOND bus, DEDRA debris sensor, and stratospheric balloons; (2) Rocketry developing advanced sounding rockets; (3) Space Labs conducting microgravity experiments including biological research and ISS experiments like ADDONISS; and (4) Space Robotics building autonomous systems including CRATER rovers, GRAKSLER space elevator climbers, and REBELS lunar ISRU rovers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRATER: Compact Rover for Autonomous Traversal, Experimentation and Retrieval - a Mars rover project for the European Rover Challenge
• VAMPIRE
• REBELS
• MOVE
• MOVE-BEYOND
• DEDRA
• MOVE-UP
• GRAKSLER

Products and services

• MOVE (Munich Orbital Verification Experiment) WARR's satellite technology group, active since 2006, that develops in-house CubeSat hardware and operates it on orbit; trains students through end-to-end mission development (concept, build, launch, operations). Has launched three 1U CubeSats (First-MOVE in 2013, MOVE-II in 2018, MOVE-IIb in 2019) and is currently developing the MOVE-III 3U CubeSat for space-debris research.
• MOVE-BEYOND Satellite Bus Multi-mission capable satellite bus with in-house developed subsystems, scalable from 1U to 6U CubeSats; designed to enable rapid mission adaptation for future payloads and forms the basis for upcoming MOVE missions.
• DEDRA Sensor (DEbris Density Retrieval and Analysis) Impact-ionization detector for micrometeoroids and sub-millimeter space debris, developed with TUM's IAPG and LPE; intended for the upcoming MOVE-III mission to verify leading space-debris models.
• MOVE-UP Stratospheric Balloons Stratospheric helium balloon missions reaching up to 35 km altitude, used to test satellite subsystems (including infrared cameras) in near-space conditions ahead of orbital flight.
• PEANUT (Piezo-Electric Actuators on Nano-satellite Unit Testbed) REXUS/BEXUS experiment investigating novel piezo-electric actuators for satellite attitude-control platforms, intended to reduce vibration compared to conventional reaction-wheel systems.
• P.H.I.L.E.A.S. (High altitude Identification of Lightweight Exogenic Airborne Specimens) BEXUS stratospheric-balloon experiment for the detection and analysis of microplastic particles in the stratosphere using active particle-collection technology.
• WARR Rocketry Student team that designs, constructs, and launches advanced sounding rockets with in-house developed engines, structures, aerodynamic elements, and flight computers; produces and tests each rocket to flight readiness.
• WARR Space Labs Student team conducting microgravity experiments in biology, medicine, and technical development using the International Space Station, drop towers, parabolic flights, and sounding rockets.
• ADDONISS ISS Experiment Neuron-science experiment developed after winning the DLR-organised Überflieger 2 competition; launched to the International Space Station in March 2023 for in-orbit microgravity research.
• D.I.N.O.labs Biological experiments flown on sounding rockets that investigate the response of biological cells to launch forces using bioluminescent algae as bioindicators; conducted across five iterations.
• WARR Space Robotics Student team developing autonomous robotic technologies to reduce risk for future crewed space missions, including planetary rovers and space-elevator climbers; the largest of WARR's project divisions.
• CRATER (Compact Rover for Autonomous Traversal, Experimentation and Retrieval) Compact autonomous Mars rover based on the ESA ExoMY architecture, evolved into the MAREE modular platform that supports multiple payloads; designed and 3D-printed in-house for the European Rover Challenge.
• GRAKSLER Space Elevator Climber Electric vehicle that climbs up and down space-elevator tethers. GRAKSLER 4.3 weighs 15 kg and carries up to 100 kg payload using a carbon-fibre truss, autonomous sensor-based control, and a single motor driving three wheels through planetary gears and belt drive; GRAKSLER 5.0 uses individual direct-drive motors per wheel with linear actuators for tether clamping.
• REBELS (Rover for the Establishment of Bases and Encampments on the Lunar Surface) Lunar in-situ resource utilisation rover using solar-sintering technology for building habitats on the Moon. The LARSS (Lunar Automated Rover for Solar Sintering) rover concept was demonstrated at IGLUNA 2021.
• Model Rocketry Competition WARR's model-rocketry program for student education and competition in rocket design and launch; one of the organization's original activities.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESA (European Space Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021ESA collaborates with DLR on REXUS/BEXUS and IGLUNA student programs. ESA's Moon Village concept inspired the REBELS project. ESA technical experts provide support to student teams. MOVE-III aims to verify ESA's MASTER/DRAMA space debris models.
• TUM (Technical University of Munich)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWARR is the biggest student group at TUM and operates in affiliation with the Chair of Astronautics (LRT) at TUM. TUM provides facilities, office space in the Maschinenwesen building, and funding. The Chair of Astronautics co-develops satellite technology with WARR teams.
• TÜV SÜD StiftungminorOthersCorporate sponsor of WARR Space Robotics team. Listed among the team's sponsors and partners.
• Würth ElektronikminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing electronic components for satellite and robotics hardware development.
• igusminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing motion and cable management components for rovers and mechanical systems.
• NVIDIAminorOthersCorporate sponsor of WARR Space Robotics, providing computing hardware for rover autonomy and simulation.
• DLR (German Aerospace Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDLR organizes student competitions including Überflieger (which selected ADDONISS for ISS) and supports REXUS/BEXUS balloon/rocket programs. DLR's Mobile Rocket Base (MORABA) provides launch campaign management and technical support. German share of REXUS/BEXUS is available to European students through ESA collaboration.
• Space Innovation (Swiss Space Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes the IGLUNA student competition in collaboration with ESA and industrial partners. REBELS participated in IGLUNA 2021 field campaign on Mount Pilatus, testing LARSS rover technology.
• DLR Institut für Robotik und MechatronikminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDLR's robotics institute in Oberpfaffenhofen provides network contacts for Space Robotics team members and potential collaboration on rover technology development.
• AzurSpaceminorOthersSolar cell sponsor for MOVE-II and MOVE-IIb satellites. Provided quadruple junction solar cells for in-orbit characterization and long-term behavior testing in space.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/warr_tum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@warrexploration8332/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/warrtum
• Instagraminstagram.com/warr.robotics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WARR