The scientific use of HALO, both strategically and operationally, is governed by the HALO consortium, currently consisting of five German research centers and the DFG representing the German universities. The stand-by costs of HALO are completely funded by the consortium members, in different shares. Costs for flying scientific missions with HALO are usually covered by the actual partners participating in the missions. DLR is responsible for the operation of HALO.
The following sections intend to give a brief overview on the main entities taking part in the governance of HALO and their present members.