MASER 10 Microgravity Rocket Mission and recent microgravity activities of Swedish Space Corporation
- Paper number
IAC-05-A2.5.06
- Author
Mr. Kenneth Loeth, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden
- Coauthor
Mr. Bengt Larsson, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden
- Coauthor
Mr. Gunnar Florin, Swedish Space Corporation, Sweden
- Year
2005
- Abstract
This paper will focus on the flight results of MASER 10 but will also present other recent microgravity projects of Swedish Space Corporation like MAXUS and TSU.
MASER 10 The MASER 10 launch is planned for 28 April 2005 from the launch base Esrange in Northern Sweden. MASER 10 is using the last existing Skylark 7 rocket motor, a 2-stage solid fuel motor, which gives the 350kg payload an apogee of about 250 Km and 6 minutes of microgravity. Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and its sub-contractors will carry out the MASER 10 mission for the European Space Agency (ESA).
The payload accommodates four ESA financed experiment modules, containing five experiments for scientific research, but also the Maser Service Module (MASM) and the Digital Video System (DVS). For the MASER 10 mission, the MASM and the DVS have been updated with SpaceWire/CCSDS interfaces for transmission of real-time images to the users on ground from in total 6 cameras on board two experiment modules.
The Biology In Microgravity (BIM) Experiment module contains two biological experiments and requires an additional recovery helicopter in order to return the samples, processed in microgravity, back to the laboratory as quickly as possible, normally within 1 hour after launch.
The Interfacial Turbulence in an Evaporating Liquid (ITEL-2) experiment module is flown for the second time. The previous flight on MASER 9 included filling and regulation of a free liquid surface in microgravity, verification of function of interferometric tomography as well as observation and confirmation of evaporation driven Marangoni convection.
The objective of the Chemically Driven Interfacial Convection (CDIC) module is to create chemo-hydrodynamic pattern formation at a “two-dimensional” interface of two liquids, organic and aqueous. The phenomenon is observed by interferometer and shadowgraph.
The Thermal Radiation under Unsteady conditions Experiment (TRUE-2) module is dedicated to investigate the intensity of Thermal Radiation Forces (TRF) in a system constituted by a solid slab crossed by a heat flux during a thermal transient. TRUE-2 is a re-flight from MASER 8.
MAXUS 6 and FOAM-2 The MAXUS 6 microgravity rocket was launched by SSC and EADS Space Transportation on November 22, 2004, from Esrange and provided more than 12 minutes of microgravity. The FOAM-2 experiment module, developed by SSC, successfully performed three different foam experiments including a technical precursor experiment for ISS.
TSU-2bis on Foton M2 The Foton M2 microgravity capsule is scheduled for launch from Baikonur on 31 May 2005 and will carry the Telescience Support Unit (TSU), developed by SSC under contract from ESA. The TSU will transmit data from 16 onboard experiments to the operators at Esrange.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-A2.5.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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