Draft:MAPHEUS
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MAPHEUS is a sounding rocket programme run by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) since 2009 [1]. It is a research platform for experiments in weightlessness (microgravity) of the DLR Institute of Materials Physics in Space[2], the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine[3], and the DLR Mobile Rocket Basis MORABA. Each sub-orbital flight provides about 6 minutes of weightlessness conditions for research and technology development[4]. The launches take place at Esrange Space Center near Kiruna in northern Sweden.
MAPHEUS is one of the European microgravity-research rocket programs, similar in performance to programs of the German and European space agencies like TEXUS or MASER/SubOrbital Express that are financed by the German and European space agencies. It currently focuses on research from materials physics and life sciences, and also serves as a technology test platform for the development and qualification of new sounding rocket vehicles and service systems.
List of MAPHEUS launches
| name | launch date | vehicle | apogee |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAPHEUS 1 | May 22, 2009 | Nike-Improved Orion | 141km |
| MAPHEUS 2 | Oct 27, 2010 | Nike-Improved Orion | 153km |
| MAPHEUS 3 | Nov 25, 2012 | Nike-Improved Orion | 145km |
| MAPHEUS 4 | Jul 15, 2013 | Nike-Improved Orion | 154km |
| MAPHEUS 5 | Jun 30, 2015 | VSB-30 | 253km |
| MAPHEUS 6 | May 14, 2017 | VSB-30 | 254km |
| MAPHEUS 7 | Feb 17, 2018 | S-31/Improved Mallemute | 248km |
| MAPHEUS 8 | Jun 13, 2019 | VSB-30 | 238km |
| MAPHEUS 11 | May 24, 2021 | Improved Mallemute/Improved Mallemute | 221km |
| MAPHEUS 10 | Dec 6, 2021 | Improved Mallemute/Improved Mallemute | 259km |
| MAPHEUS 9 | Jan 29, 2022 | Improved Mallemute/Improved Mallemute | 253km |
| MAPHEUS 12[5] | Oct 21, 2022 | Improved Mallemute/Improved Mallemute | 258km |
| MAPHEUS 13[6] | May 22, 2023 | Improved Mallemute/Improved Mallemute | 230km |
| MAPHEUS 14[7] | Feb 27, 2024 | RED KITE/Improved Mallemute | 265km |
MAPHEUS 1–4 (2009–2013)
The first four launches of MAPHEUS were based on a two-stage Nike/Improved Orion vehicle, supporting payload with 14" diameter of around 190kg weight for flights up to around 150km height.
MAPHEUS 5–8 (2015–2019)
With MAPHEUS 5, there was a switch to the VSB-30 two-stage vehicle and larger 17" payload, supporting heavier payloads for flights up to around 250km height. For MAPHEUS 7, the S-31 engine booster of the VSB-30 was combined with an Improved Malemute as the second stage.
MAPHEUS 9–13 (2021–2023)
To establish an alternative to the VSB-30 vehicle, for which the rocket motors have to be shipped from Brazil to Sweden, after MAPHEUS 8 a switch was performed to a two-stage Imroved Malemute (IM-IM) vehicle. With this, altitudes of around 260km can be reached, at the cost of a slightly reduced payload mass compared to the VSB-30 vehicles, and at the cost of much higher maximum acceleration during the launch (up to 20g).
Due to restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and due to inavailability of the Skylark launcher on Esrange, the launches of MAPHEUS 9/10 were postponed to 2021/2022, and MAPHEUS 11 was launched in 2021 with a much reduced experiment team. All IM-IM launches for MAPHEUS used the MAN launcher on Esrange.
MAPHEUS 14– (2024–)
The launch of MAPHEUS 14 saw the first production use of RED KITE, a new sounding rocket motor produced by Bayern-Chemie and developed in cooperation with German Aerospace Center.
See also
References
- ^ "MAPHEUS - Materialforschung unter Schwerelosigkeit". German Aerospace Center. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Institute of Materials Physics in Space, German Aerospace Center". Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center". Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ Kargl, Florian, ed. (2019). Materials and Life Science Experiments for the Sounding Rocket MAPHEUS. American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Successful launch of MAPHEUS 12". German Aerospace Center. 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Höhenforschungsrakete MAPHEUS-13: Start in einen sonnigen Tag" (in Deutsch). German Aerospace Center. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "MAPHEUS 14 high-altitude research rocket takes flight". Space Daily. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
External links
- German Aerusoace Center (Aug 6, 2015). "Journey of a rocket – from launch to landing" (video). youtube.ocm. German Aerospace Center.
- German Aerospace Center (Aug 23, 2019). "Mission ATEK" (video). youtube.com. German Aerospace Center.
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Category:Space science experiments
Category:Sounding rockets of Germany