Mapheus
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]
MAPHEUS is one of the European microgravity-research rocket programs, similar to the TEXUS or MASER/SubOrbital Express programs of 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.
MAPHEUS 1–4 (2009–2013)
The first four launches of MAPHEUS were based on a two-stage Nike/Improved Orion vehicle, supporting payloads with 14" diameter of around 190kg weight for flights up to around 150km height.[5][6]
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.[7]
MAPHEUS 9–13 (2021–2023)
To establish an alternative to the VSB-30 vehicle, after MAPHEUS 8 a switch was performed to a two-stage Improved Malemute (IM-IM) vehicle, using military surplus motors.[8]
Due to restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and due to unavailability 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.[9]
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. MAPHEUS 15 demonstrated a flight to over 300km height, providing more than 7 minutes of time in weightlessness for more than 20 different experiments[10]. It was also the 600th rocket launched from Esrange Space Center.[11]
List of MAPHEUS launches
| name | launch date | vehicle | apogee |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAPHEUS 1[5] | May 22, 2009 | Nike/Improved Orion | 141km |
| MAPHEUS 2[12] | Oct 27, 2010 | Nike/Improved Orion | 153km |
| MAPHEUS 3[6] | Nov 25, 2012 | Nike/Improved Orion | 145km |
| MAPHEUS 4[13] | Jul 15, 2013 | S-30 | 154km |
| MAPHEUS 5[14] | Jun 30, 2015 | VSB-30 | 253km |
| MAPHEUS 6[15] | May 14, 2017 | VSB-30 | 254km |
| MAPHEUS 7[7] | Feb 17, 2018 | S-31/Improved Malemute | 248km |
| MAPHEUS 8[16] | Jun 13, 2019 | VSB-30 | 238km |
| MAPHEUS 11[8] | May 24, 2021 | IM/IM | 221km |
| MAPHEUS 10[9] | Dec 6, 2021 | IM/IM | 259km |
| MAPHEUS 9[17] | Jan 29, 2022 | IM/IM | 253km |
| MAPHEUS 12[18] | Oct 21, 2022 | IM/IM | 258km |
| MAPHEUS 13[19] | May 22, 2023 | IM/IM | 230km |
| MAPHEUS 14[20] | Feb 27, 2024 | RED KITE/IM | 265km |
| MAPHEUS 15[10] | Nov 11, 2024 | RED KITE/IM | 308km |
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. Search this book on
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Stamminger A, et al. "MAPHEUS-1: Vehicle, Subsystem Design, Flight Performance and Experiments". Proceedings of the 19th ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes and Related Research. pp. 411–416. Retrieved 2025-01-22. Search this book on
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Siegl M, et al. "Material Physics Rockets MAPHEUS-3/4: Flights and Developments". Proceedings of the 21st ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes and Related Research. p. 721. Retrieved 2025-01-22. Search this book on
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "MAPHEUS-7: Mehr als sechs Minuten Schwerelosigkeit für Experimente aus Materialphysik und Biologie" (in Deutsch). 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Completed Rocket Mission MAPHEUS 11". 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Swedish Space Corporation Rocket Launches Resume At Esrange Space Center In Sweden". 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "600th Arctic rocket launch successfully conducted by DLR". Space Daily. 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
- ↑ "The 600th rocket – a story of Swedish space (part 2)". 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "Schwerelos experimentieren: DLR startet Forschungsrakete Mapheus-2" (in Deutsch). 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "Mapheus-4: Röntgenaufnahmen aus der Schwerelosigkeit" (in Deutsch). 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "Höhenforschungsrakete Mapheus-5: Start hinter dem Polarkreis" (in Deutsch). 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "Schwebende Schmelzen und Biomembranen: DLR-Forschungsrakete Mapheus-6 gestartet" (in Deutsch). 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "MAPHEUS: Vom hohen Norden ins All" (in Deutsch). 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "Another MAPHEUS launched: All systems worked perfectly". 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ↑ "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.
- Bayern Chemie (28 February 2024). "RED KITE". bayern-chemie.com. Bayern-Chemie. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
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