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How many satellites does Germany have?

As of October 17, 2026, Germany owns 82 active satellites, 0.5% of the world's 17,101 and the 8th most of any country. The biggest single group is OTC, with 8 satellites (10% of the total).

Active satellites

0.5%

Of the world total

8th

Rank among countries

Launches in 2025

Astronauts in clean-room suits examining the Columbus laboratory module in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis — Members of the STS-122 crew examine the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A, November 2007. Photo: NASA.

What they do

Earth imaging accounts for 33 of Germany's active satellites (40%).

Earth imaging33 (40.2%)
Technology demonstration23 (28.0%)
Communications16 (19.5%)
Science5 (6.1%)
COM/TECH4 (4.9%)
Signals intelligence1 (1.2%)

Where they orbit

Lower low Earth orbit (80 to 600 km)61 (74.4%)
Upper low Earth orbit (600 to 2,000 km)11 (13.4%)
Not assigned5 (6.1%)
Geosynchronous orbit3 (3.7%)
GTO1 (1.2%)

Who operates them

The largest operators, and the largest families of satellites, owned by Germany.

By operator

TUB12 (14.6%)
OroraTech10 (12.2%)
ZfT9 (11.0%)
S4/ZFT5 (6.1%)
AMSAT-D4 (4.9%)
BWB4 (4.9%)

By satellite family

OTC8 (9.8%)
Cuby5 (6.1%)
SAR4 (4.9%)
S4 (4.9%)
NetSat4 (4.9%)

Operator names are as written in GCAT, usually transliterated from the original language. Families group satellites by the first word of their name.

How the fleet has grown

At the end of 2005, Germany had 21 payloads in Earth orbit. By the end of 2025 it had 88.

Payloads owned by Germany in Earth orbit at the end of each year, working or not.

Launches

Germany has made 2 orbital launch attempts since its first in 2025, and 1 of them in 2025. Its busiest year was 2025 with 1.

Orbital launch attempts by Germany each year. 2026 is partial, through October 16.

Sources and method

GCAT by Jonathan McDowell, CC BY 4.0. Updated October 17, 2026. Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat).
Active means GCAT lists the satellite as working or possibly still transmitting, a status GCAT says is often a guess. Ownership is by the owner's country, not the launch country.