MAXUS Information

7/27/2019 MAXUS Information

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MAXUS-8information kit

Updated: March 2010


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TheMAXUS-8 Sounding Rocket Campaign

ESAs next sounding rocket mission, MAXUS-8, isset to be launched on 26 March from the EsrangeSpace Centre just outside of Kiruna, NorthernSweden. It will be carrying four vitally importantexperiment modules that will supply a wealth ofdata covering research in material science andbiology as well as carrying an additionaltechnology demonstrator. These experiments willbe the foundation for advancements across manyindustries helping for example with the futureproduction of new lightweight aircraft engineturbines and the production of new catalysts for

chemical reactors and hydrogen fuel cells, as wellas answering fundamental research questions inboth scientific disciplines.

The MAXUS 7 sounding rocket prior to launch (Image:SSC)

This is the eighth campaign using a MAXUS

sounding rocket, and will provide 12-13 minutes ofstable weightless conditions to the more than

800kg of research equipment and additionalsystems it is carrying. Sounding rockets are a keyplatform for research within ESAs Directorate ofHuman Spaceflight providing an important, cost-effective and independent means for Europe tocarry out research requiring access to short-termperiods of weightlessness with a relatively quickturnaround of results, as well as providingprecursor testing to research equipment whichcould eventually be launched to the InternationalSpace Station.

A tracking antenna at the Esrange Space Centre (Image: ESA)

The MAXUS sounding rocket programme isfunded by ESA through the European Programmefor Life and Physical Science in Space (ELIPS)with the sounding rocket and launch servicesprovided to ESA by an industrial joint venture

between EADS Astrium and the Swedish SpaceCorporation.


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MAXUS-8 Launch Profi le

The launch of MAXUS 7 on 2 May 2006 (Image: SSC)

Launch to landing of the single stage MAXUS-8sounding rocket will take only 26 minutes. The 17mlong MAXUS-8 includes a 6.5m-long fuselagewhich contains the four experiment modules to belaunched. The sounding rocket has a mass of 12.3

A radar engineer monitors the flight of MAXUS 6 on 22November 2004 (Image: SSC)

tonnes when it lifts off from the launch pad atEsrange. Alongside the launch tower, the groundstation at ESRANGE, will be used to track MAXUS-8during its short flight and talk to the instrumentson board via telemetry and telecommand channelsas well as receiving video feed.

Scientists monitoring test data during the MAXUS 6 flight(Image: SSC)

The scientists will also be able to monitor their

individual experiments on board. The informationthey receive will be complemented by the datasafely embedded in the experiment modules to beretrieved after landing.

Screen capture of MAXUS main engine stage followingseparation (Image:SSC)

The MAXUS solid rocket booster will finishburning after a total of around one minute afterlaunch, followed a few seconds later by jettison ofthe rockets nose cap. About 90 seconds after liftoff the main engine stage separates from thepayload section. The Rate Control System with its


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nitrogen thrusters is now activated to stabilise the

payload and provide for optimal weightlessconditions. After a few seconds, with deactivationof the Rate Control System, the researchpayloads are now experiencing weightlessness ona steep unpowered parabolic trajectory.

The payloads continue their ascent for another sixminutes to an altitude of around 750 km (aroundtwice the altitude of the ISS) before the descentback into earths atmosphere begins. Along withthe experiment modules the retrievable payloadincludes a parachute-based recovery system, atelemetry and telecommand module and a TV

module.

Graphic providing an idea of a MAXUS launch profile(Image: SSC)

At around 14 minutes after launch the weightlessphase is finished. The Rate Control Systemthrusters are again activated and the payloads areplaced in the correct orientation for reentry. Atalmost 15 minutes after lift off the MAXUS entersthe atmosphere travelling at around 4.5 km/s

(Mach 13). 50 seconds later the heatshield isjettisoned followed seven seconds later by the

opening of a drogue parachute to slow the

MAXUS payloads down. Eight seconds later at analtitude of about 5 km the huge main parachuteopens to slow further down the MAXUS payloadto allow it to make a soft enough landing in thesnowy tundra region north of Esrange where it isretrieved around an hour after landing.

Top: MAXUS 7 payload following landing on 2 May 2006.Bottom: Helicopter retrieving a sounding rocket payload

following landing (Images: SSC)


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ESA and Sounding Rockets

The MAXUS-8 sounding rocket campaign builds onalmost 30 years of extensive research experienceusing sounding rockets by the European SpaceAgency starting with their first experiment on theGerman TEXUS-6 sounding rocket flight in 1982.

The most prolific use of this type of research byESA has been undertaken using the TEXUSsounding rocket with the number of experimentsfunded by ESA now approaching 100. Thisincluded the first experiments using the ElectroMagnetic Levitator during the TEXUS-42, -44 and

-46 campaigns. The launch of the ElectroMagnetic Levitator on TEXUS-42 in December2005 was the first launch of an experimentalpayload as part of the highly successful IMPRESSproject, which accounts for two experiments onthe MAXUS-8 flight which are done in combinationwith MAP experiments in ESAs ELIPSprogramme (details see ESA ResearchProgramme on MAXUS-8).

The Electro Magnetic Levitatorjointly developed by ESA andDLR permits the accurate property measurements of highly-

reactive liquid metal alloys.(Image:DLR)

In a similar vein ESA has participated in all 11campaigns of the Swedish MASER soundingrocket since its first launch in 1987. Both theTEXUS and MASER had the capability to launcha research payload of around 400kg and provideabout 6 minutes of weightlessness. The EuropeanMAXUS sounding rocket programme, which was

Launch of MASER-11 on 15 May 2008 (Image: SSC)

initiated in 1990 provided the potential to launchtwice the mass of TEXUS and MASER andprovide 12-13 minutes of weightlessness. ESAhas funded all eight MAXUS sounding rocketcampaigns since they started. With ESAsadditional participation in four MiniTEXUSsounding rocket campaigns, which have thecapability to launch smaller research payloads (upto 100 kg) for a shorter amount of time (3-4minutes of weightlessness) ESA has andcontinues to have a great deal of flexibility in itsstrategy to obtain the maximum possible out of itssounding rocket research.


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ESA Research Programme on MAXUS-8

The results of all three material science experiments taking place on MAXUS-8 will help to make fundamentalimprovements as well as cost/fuel-saving changes across numerous industries such as in aerospace and theautomotive industry. Two of the three material sciences experiments stem from the extremely successful jointESA/European Commission IMPRESS* (InterMetallic Processing in Relation to Earth and Space Solidification)project. The 5-year multi-million Euro IMPRESS research project involved 150 scientists and 40 project partnersincluding universities, research establishments and industry. On the ESA side IMPRESS flight experiments areimplemented in synergy with Microgravity Application Projects (MAP) within the European Programme for Lifeand Physical Science in Space (ELIPS). Hence these flight experiments are carried out in combination withapplied material science experiments on MAXUS-8. The biology experiment flying on MAXUS-8 will provideessential data with respect to mechanisms of gravity perception and is also part of ESAs ELIPS programme.

Material Science Research

Solidification of new titanium-aluminide alloys

This combined IMPRESS/ELIPS experiment willgive the science team a chance to answer twoimportant questions: How does gravity affect thealloys behaviour, as it transforms from liquid tosolid? And how does this shape the structure thatforms during this solidification process? By varyingdifferent process parameters such as temperaturegradients, it becomes possible to study otherphenomena such as structural transition,segregation of alloying elements and effects due toadding small nucleating particles, known as grainrefiners. The sounding rocket furnace of MAXUS-8enables the simultaneous processing of fourtitanium-aluminide samples at different boundarytemperatures up to a maximum of 1700C.

Centrifugally-cast titanium-aluminium-based low-pressureturbine blades (Image: ACCESS, Germany)

Comparison between sounding rocket and groundexperiment samples will help pinpoint the effectsof gravity on casting alloys. These results are of

paramount importance for industrial applicationsand will be exploited to enhance the predictivecapability of computer models applied to

commercial casting processes. All these studieswill ultimately help the production, of a newgeneration of lightweight and fuel-saving turbineblades for aeroplane jet engines with half thedensity of conventional turbine blades.

Results of this experiment will help with the future productionof lightweight turbine blades for aerospace jet engines. Shownis a close up of an engine from an Airbus A300 used as part of

ESAs 46th

Parabolic Flight Campaign (Image: N. Sentse)

Science Team: Y. Fautrelle, O. Budenkova, INPG,St.Martin dHres, France; S. Rex, ACCESS, Aachen,

Germany; D.Browne, S.McFadden, University of DublinIreland; L. Froyen, KU-Leuven, Belgium; A.Kartavykh,IKMP, Moscow, Russia.


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Agglomerat ion of nickel nano-particles

This experiment also part of the IMPRESS projectand will study the agglomeration of nickel particlesfirst evaporated and then condensed by using aspecially-designed cylindrical reactor. The focus ison the way that these nano-particles of nickelcluster together into large fluffy agglomerateswhen the effect of sedimentation due to gravity isremoved.

Small amounts of nickel will be evaporated at2000C using a clever heating technique inspiredby the filament of a light bulb. The nickel vapour is

carried through the reactor by a stable flow of inertargon gas, where the particles will eventuallycluster together.

Metal nano-particles produced in weightlessness via anevaporation-condensation process. (Image: IFAM, Bremen, Germany)

The magnetic interactions among the nickelparticles will also play a relevant role. Bychanging the flow rate of the argon, one canadjust the time in flight of the nickel particles. Thisin turn affects the form of the resulting nickelclusters and strands. At the end of the reactortube, those agglomerates will be captured by adedicated sample collector.

The post-flight analysis by electron microscopewill tell us more about the shape and structure ofthe particle clusters. It is expected that very large

porous clusters will form in weightlessness, buthow exactly this occurs without the effects ofgravity can only be determined after the mission.

Commercial alkaline fuel cell (Image: Hydrocell Oy, Finland)

This research will lead to important concepts forthe design of new catalysts, nano-magnets andparticular classes of sensors.

Science Team: B. Gnther, S. Lsch, FraunhoferIFAM, Bremen, Germany


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X-ray monitor ing of liquid diffusion in metallic alloys (XRMON)

The experiment module during preparation at the EsrangeSpace Centre (Image: SSC)

The third experiment covers an ESA MicrogravityApplication Project (MAP). The objective of thisresearch is to investigate diffusive processes inmelts of metallic and semiconductor alloys.Nowadays the knowledge of diffusion coefficientsin melts is becoming increasingly important, asthe casting industry demands more and moreaccurate simulation models, in order to reducescrap rates and manufacturing costs. Accuratedata on diffusion is a crucial input to thesenumerical models and will lead to more reliablesimulations and cost-saving predictions.

Representation of an X-ray of a metal sample (Image: DLR)

Studies of diffusion processes in liquid metals inweightlessness have been carried out before.However the novel feature of the MAXUS-8experiment is to visualise the process live and in-situ for the first time. Using a special X-ray set-up will allow researchers to look inside theliquid metal, since metals and semiconductorsabsorb X-rays in a way which is uniquelydependent on their atomic number. This willallow for observation of the melts concentrationprofile over time and enable the directmeasurement of diffusion coefficients with very

high accuracy. Alloys of aluminium/aluminium-copper, aluminium/aluminium-nickel, and silicon/germanium will be studied, which are of majorrelevance to industry, being widely used inautomotive engines, jet engine turbines and solarpanel arrays respectively.

Photovoltaic solar panels (Image: Enel Green Power S.p.A.)

Science Team: A. Griesche, DLR Metallurgic Instituteof Bonn, Germany; R. Mathiesen, Norwegian Universityof Science and Technology, Trondheim


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Biology ResearchCytoskeletal forces underlying gravity sensing mechanisms of Characin cell structures

The aim of this biology experiment is to extendearlier studies by the science team aimed atunderstanding the mechanisms of cell structuresto perceive gravity in both intensity and directionin the model Characean algae (common names:stonewort or muskgrass). The cell structuresbeing studied are the rhizoids (root like structures)which grow downwards to anchor into lakesediment, and the protonemata which growupwards towards light and are responsible fordivision and regeneration.

A snapshot of the video feed, showing the statolithsdisplaced at the plasma membrane of the cell

(Image: EADS-Astrium)

Data from a previous sounding rocket experimentindicated that lateral accelerations between 0.05gand 0.14g are required to displace statoliths(intracellular sediment particles) towards thegravity sensitive plasma membrane site, wherecontact of statoliths with gravi-receptors inducescell-type specific responses.

It is believed that the cell cytoskeleton, i.e. thecellss structural support, is involved in the gravity

sensing process and this experiment will performa comprehensive analysis of molecularcytoskeleton forces. Rhizoids and protonemata

will be installed onto a rotating platform inside ofthe MAXUS-8 experiment module permittingcentrifugal accelerations to be applied to the cellsstepwise from 0.05g to 0.09g for 60s each. Thiswill follow an initial adaptation time of about 5minutes.

The experiment module with the three microscopes and cel lset-ups installed on its rotating platform (photo credit: EADS-ASTRIUM)

Data from this study will refine the gravi-sensitivitymechanism, which is solely dependent uponcytoskeletal force. The experiment will provide for

accurate estimates of the number of contacts pertime unit between cytoskeleton elements andindividual statoliths.

This data will allow scientist to determine theenergy required for each physical step and thefirst physiological process, or perception, of gravi-tropic pathways, that are preferred directions thatcells choose in function of their perception ofgravity. In summary this experiment may produceresults which complete the molecular basedpicture of gravity sensing in plant cells.

Science Team: M. Braun, B. Buchen, N. VagtUniversity of Bonn, Germany.


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Technology Demonstrations

SHARKFurther to its programme of experiments inweightlessness, MAXUS-8 will also deploy anddrop a secondary capsule that will separate fromthe payload during ascent at an approximatealtitude of 150km. The SHARK (SoundingHypersonic Atmospheric Re-entry Kapsule)project, supported by ESAs TechnicalDirectorate, consists of a fully autonomous systemaimed at proving the feasibility of dropping ablack-box from outside the Earths atmosphereas part of a former space object (e.g., a rocketbooster).

A schematic drawing of SHARK, showing its internalsubsystems (Image: CIRA)

Supersonic regimes, crash loads and recovery ina hostile terrain where the capsule might land,represent its technical and operational challenges.SHARK (taking the place of what would otherwisebe mass ballast needed for stability reasons) isattached to the re-entry aft cone and enclosedwithin the inter-stage adapter of the MAXUS-8rocket by means of a dedicated interface and aseparation mechanism. Its deployment will occurshortly after the end of the motor thrust phase.

The Italian company CIRA (Centro ItalianoRicerche Aerospaziali) volunteered to produce at

the SHARK hardware its own cost.

The Value of Sounding Rockets

A Sound InvestmentWith the MAXUS-8 mission, ESA continues itsleading role in maintaining autonomous Europeanmicrogravity platforms able to offer the usercommunity with frequent flight opportunities inaddition to the utilisation of the InternationalSpace Station (ISS).

Sounding rockets provide scientists with aninvaluable opportunity to perform experiments thatwould otherwise not be feasible onboard the ISSdue to safety constraints, the lack of access toexperiment racks and laboratories, relevantdesign limitations, and to the stringent need forcontinuous and interactive control of theexperiment from ground. The relatively quickturnaround of results from sounding rockets alsomakes them extremely compatible with industrialtimescales for research and developmentpurposes.

In addition, sounding rocket flights have becomemore and more attractive to prepare ISSexperiments, for in-flight testing of newinstrumentation and diagnostic tools prior to theirimplementation on board the ISS, and, last but notleast, to meet with the requirements of self-standing scientific investigations that do notrequire a long exposure time to weightlessness.

While taking the full benefit of long terminvestments and of the significant and specificexperience built up by relevant industries, ESA isengaged at involving small and medium-sizeenterprises from different member states indevelopment tasks for the MAXUS modules andsubsystems. Along with this, ESA continues toimprove this valuable platform by graduallyintroducing more advanced/efficient subsystems.

* The IMPRESS project is funded under EC Contract # NMP3-CT-2004-500635


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Credits

This document has been compiled, produced andwritten by the Coordination Office and theUtilisation Department of the European SpaceAgencys Directorate of Human Spaceflight inNoordwijk, The Netherlands. It has been compiledfrom internal ESA sources with additional imagesand information kindly supplied by the followingorganisations:

EADS Astrium

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Contacts

European Space Agency (ESA)Directorate of Human SpaceflightESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, PO Box 2992200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.Tel: +31 (0) 71 565 6799Fax: +31 (0) 71 565 5441www.esa.int/spaceflight

ESA Media RelationsESA Head Office, Paris, France.Tel. + 33 1 5369 7155

Fax. + 33 1 5369 [email protected]

InterMetallic Processing in Relation to Earth andSpace Solidification (IMPRESS)www.spaceflight.esa.int/impress

EADS Astriumhttp://www.astrium.eads.net/

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)http://www.ssc.se/

German Aerospace Center (DLR)http://www.dlr.de/en/desktopdefault.aspx


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March 2010

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