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Draft:Mapheus

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  • Comment: Notable, but needs more references, thank you Ozzie10aaaa (talk) 16:08, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

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)

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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.[5][6]


MAPHEUS 5–8 (2015–2019)

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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)

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To establish an alternative to the VSB-30 vehicle, after MAPHEUS 8 a switch was performed to a two-stage Imroved Malemute (IM-IM) vehicle, using military surplus motors.[8]

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.[9]

MAPHEUS 14– (2024–)

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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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ "MAPHEUS - Materialforschung unter Schwerelosigkeit". German Aerospace Center. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  2. ^ "Institute of Materials Physics in Space, German Aerospace Center". Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  3. ^ "Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center". Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  4. ^ Kargl, Florian, ed. (2019). Materials and Life Science Experiments for the Sounding Rocket MAPHEUS. American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ a b 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.
  7. ^ a b "MAPHEUS-7: Mehr als sechs Minuten Schwerelosigkeit für Experimente aus Materialphysik und Biologie" (in German). 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  8. ^ a b "Completed Rocket Mission MAPHEUS 11". 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  9. ^ a b "Swedish Space Corporation Rocket Launches Resume At Esrange Space Center In Sweden". 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  10. ^ a b "600th Arctic rocket launch successfully conducted by DLR". Space Daily. 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  11. ^ "The 600th rocket – a story of Swedish space (part 2)". 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  12. ^ "Schwerelos experimentieren: DLR startet Forschungsrakete Mapheus-2" (in German). 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  13. ^ "Mapheus-4: Röntgenaufnahmen aus der Schwerelosigkeit" (in German). 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  14. ^ "Höhenforschungsrakete Mapheus-5: Start hinter dem Polarkreis" (in German). 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  15. ^ "Schwebende Schmelzen und Biomembranen: DLR-Forschungsrakete Mapheus-6 gestartet" (in German). 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  16. ^ "MAPHEUS: Vom hohen Norden ins All" (in German). 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  17. ^ "Another MAPHEUS launched: All systems worked perfectly". 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  18. ^ "Successful launch of MAPHEUS 12". German Aerospace Center. 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  19. ^ "Höhenforschungsrakete MAPHEUS-13: Start in einen sonnigen Tag" (in German). German Aerospace Center. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  20. ^ "MAPHEUS 14 high-altitude research rocket takes flight". Space Daily. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
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Category:Space science experiments Category:Sounding rockets of Germany

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