Author Topic: VSB-30 rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023  (Read 3826 times)

Offline Fmedici

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VSB-30 rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023
« on: 05/22/2023 10:15 am »
MAPHEUS-13 mission launched today from Esrange at 05:00:32 UTC using a IM/IM rocket. Link to the webcast below, with T-0 at 43:59.

« Last Edit: 05/24/2023 12:18 am by Fmedici »

Online jacqmans

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Re: VSB-30 rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023
« Reply #1 on: 05/23/2023 10:20 am »
May 23, 2023 | MAPHEUS-13 starts in Sweden

Rocket takes off with 2,700 kids' mission logos


3, 2, 1, go! The research rocket shoots up. A little over a minute later she is already in space. In addition to many instruments for research in weightlessness, there is a very unusual "cargo" on board: over 2,700 pictures of children from all over Germany. The drawings were created as part of a painting campaign called for by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the "Children for Research" foundation . Kindergartens and primary schools were able to submit their designs for a mission logo - and with the successful launch on May 22, 2023, DLR kept its promise to take all the pictures into space.

“Every space flight has its special mission logo. Stars, rockets or similar symbols are often shown there. In the current drawing campaign, children were allowed to think up their own logo. More than 500 kindergartens and elementary schools accepted the invitation and participated enthusiastically," says Dr. Christoph Pawek, board representative for youth development at DLR. All the images were on a USB stick inside the rocket. In addition, a mosaic image was created from the submissions and pasted onto the outer shell of the rocket.

Five minutes of zero gravity

Kindergartens, after-school care centers and primary schools had until mid-April 2023 to send in their pictures. And on May 22, 2023, the time had come: The MAPHEUS-13 research rocket flew into space from the Swedish launch site in Kiruna. The name stands for "material physics experiments under zero gravity" and the number for the 13th flight in this project. The rocket reached an altitude of around 225 kilometers - well above the limit of space, which is usually set at 100 kilometers above Earth in space travel. From take-off to landing, the flight took "only" around 13 minutes as planned, but that's enough for many scientific experiments in weightlessness. It occurs as soon as the engines are shut down:

During this flight, the researchers wanted to find out, among other things, how molten metal mixtures solidify in weightlessness. Another experiment looked at how a 3D printer could be used to make tools on long space missions. There were also two experiments with nerve cells - the scientists want to investigate how healing processes work in the brain.

After the successful parachute landing, not only the experiments are returning to Germany. The part of the rocket shell covered with the mosaic of children's pictures is also removed. On June 13, 2023, it will be presented at the celebration of the "Day of Little Researchers" in the Archenhold Observatory in Berlin.

MAPHEUS is a civilian research program operated by the DLR Institute of Materials Physics in Space , the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine and the DLR Mobile Rocket Base MORABA in cooperation with partners from Sweden. The painting campaign was carried out by DLR's youth development program together with the "Children for Research" foundation as part of the 2023 Science Year. The Science Yearis under the motto "Our Universe". "We deliberately addressed younger children with this campaign in order to arouse interest in research and technology from kindergarten to primary school age," says Christoph Pawek. “Children at this age are particularly inquisitive and inquisitive. With the fascination it emanates, space travel in particular can contribute to young people adopting a positive and open-minded attitude towards MINT subjects during their later school career.” The non-profit foundation “Kinder forschen” is committed to early education in the fields of mathematics , computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT) with the aim of making girls and boys strong for the future and enabling them to act sustainably.

https://www.dlr.de/de/aktuelles/nachrichten/2023/02/rakete-hebt-mit-2700-missionslogos-von-kindern-ab
Jacques :-)

Online jacqmans

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Re: VSB-30 rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023
« Reply #2 on: 05/23/2023 10:23 am »
The X-RISE X-ray system for examining molten metals before installation in the rocket segment. With a weight of 100 kilograms, ovens for 1,000 degrees Celsius, an ultra-high vacuum pump and the safety regulations to be observed, it is certainly one of the more complex experiments on MAPHEUS-13.
Jacques :-)

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: IM-IM rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023
« Reply #3 on: 05/23/2023 09:24 pm »
The Mapheus launches transitioned to a new rocket. Two surplus Patriot PAC-2 motors stacked on top of each other. As sounding rocket motor the PAC-2 motors are known as:
Improved Malemute.
So the two stacked motors (with spin up motors) suborbital rocket is named: IM-IM.

Mapheus-14 will again transition to a new sounding rocket, the RK-IM
Abreviation for: Red Kite - Improved Malemute.
Red Kite is a new motor developed by Bayern Chemie for DLR. It's likely the replacement for the S30 and S31 motors.
I expect the VSB-30 to be grounded/ not operational from Esrange because of the TEXUS-58 launch anomaly. But I've not read an official statement.

Offline Fmedici

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Re: IM-IM rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023
« Reply #4 on: 05/24/2023 12:19 am »
The Mapheus launches transitioned to a new rocket. Two surplus Patriot PAC-2 motors stacked on top of each other. As sounding rocket motor the PAC-2 motors are known as:
Improved Malemute.
So the two stacked motors (with spin up motors) suborbital rocket is named: IM-IM.

Mapheus-14 will again transition to a new sounding rocket, the RK-IM
Abreviation for: Red Kite - Improved Malemute.
Red Kite is a new motor developed by Bayern Chemie for DLR. It's likely the replacement for the S30 and S31 motors.
I expect the VSB-30 to be grounded/ not operational from Esrange because of the TEXUS-58 launch anomaly. But I've not read an official statement.

What happened with the TEXUS 58 launch? I haven't read anything about that.

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: VSB-30 rocket with MAPHEUS-13 - 22-05-2023
« Reply #5 on: 05/25/2023 07:22 am »
Some screen grabs of the launch.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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