Rexus and Bexus
REXUS/BEXUS (Rocket Experiments for University Students / Balloon Experiments for University Students) is a European programme for student experiments on rockets and balloons. The programme utilises sounding rockets and balloons launched from Esrange in northern Sweden.[1]
Responsible organisations
"The REXUS/BEXUS programme is realised under a bilateral Agency Agreement between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB). The Swedish share of the payload has been made available to students from other European countries through a collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).
EuroLaunch, a cooperation between the Esrange Space Center of the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and the Mobile Rocket Base (MORABA) of DLR, is responsible for the campaign management and operations of the launch vehicles. Experts from ESA, SSC and DLR provide technical support to the student teams throughout the project."[1]
REXUS
REXUS rockets are launched from Esrange on an annual basis (nominally 2 rockets each spring), with full recovery and return of the experiment hardware to the students.
- Type: Spin-stabilized rocket, powered by an Improved Orion motor
- Mass: 515 kg (at launch)
- Size: 5.6 m long, body diameter 14 in (35.6 cm)
- Fuel: 290 kg of solid propellant
- Peak altitude: 80–100 km
- Payload: Student experiments of max 40 kg, system payload 60 kg
- Recovery: Helicopter
REXUS Missions
| Mission | Date | Launch site | Apogee | Comments | Reference Report | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REXUS 1[2] | 1995-12-04 | Esrange | 89 km | Esrange EUK105-9603 | ||
| REXUS 2 | 2004-10-28 | Esrange | 91.4 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 3 | 2006-04-05 | Esrange | 110 km | Esrange EUP136-E23 | SSC | |
| REXUS 4 | 2008-10-22 | Esrange | 175 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 5 | 2009-03-13 | Esrange | 87.3 km | RX05_09_12_06 | SSC | |
| REXUS 6 | 2009-03-12 | Esrange | 88.4 km | RX06_09_12_06 | SSC | |
| REXUS 7 | 2010-03-02 | Esrange | 83 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 8 | 2010-03-04 | Esrange | 88 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 9 | 2011-02-22 | Esrange | 80.6 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 10 | 2011-02-23 | Esrange | 82 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 11 | 2012-11-06 | Esrange | 82 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 12 | 2012-03-19 | Esrange | 82 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 13 | 2013-05-09 | Esrange | SSC | |||
| REXUS 14 | 2013-05-07 | Esrange | 81.5 km | SSC | ||
| REXUS 15 | 2014-05-28 | Esrange | 80.7 km | SSC DLR ESA | ||
| REXUS 16 | 2014-05-27 | Esrange | 87 km ? | SSC DLR ESA |
REXUS Experiments
REXUS 8
REXUS 10
REXUS 13
- CERESS
- MUSCAT
- StrathSat-R
- SOLAR
REXUS 14
- CAESAR
- Gekko
- EDoDSpaceSailors
- PoleCATS
REXUS 15/16
REXUS 17/18
- WUSAT-2 SOLSPEC
BEXUS
BEXUS balloons are launched from Esrange on an annual basis (nominally 2 balloons each autumn).
- Balloon: 10,000 - 12,000 m3 Zodiac 12 SF plastic balloon with helium gas
- Length of balloon train: 65–100 m from top of balloon to gondola
- Experiment mass: 40–100 kg
- Flight duration: 2–5 hours
- Peak altitude: 20–35 km
- Recovery: Helicopter
BEXUS Missions
| Mission | Date | Launch site | Balloon volume | Peak altitude | Flight duration | Comments | Reference Report | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEXUS 1 | Esrange | |||||||
| BEXUS 2 | 2004-02-26 | Esrange | 10 000 m3 | 27 km | SSC | |||
| BEXUS 3 | 2005-03-22 | Esrange | 28.5 km | SSC | ||||
| BEXUS 4 | 2006-06-19 | Esrange | 10 000 m3 | 30 km | 3.2 hours | Esrange EUP137-E24 | SSC | |
| BEXUS 5 | 2007-03-28 | Esrange | 12,000 m3 | 25 km | 3.5 hours | SSC | ||
| BEXUS 6 | 2008-10-08 | Esrange | 10 000 m3 | 29 km | 2.5 hours | SSC | ||
| BEXUS 7 | 2008-10-08 | Esrange | 12 000 m3 | 26 km | SSC | |||
| BEXUS 8 | 2009-10-10 | Esrange | SSC | |||||
| BEXUS 9 | 2009-10-11 | Esrange | SSC | |||||
| BEXUS 10 | 2010-10-09 | Esrange | 22,5 km | 3 hours | SSC | |||
| BEXUS 11 | 2010-11-23 | Esrange | 100 000 m3 | SSC | ||||
| BEXUS 12 | TBD | Esrange | SSC | |||||
| BEXUS 13 | TBD | Esrange | SSC | |||||
| BEXUS 14 | TBD | Esrange | ||||||
| BEXUS 15 | TBD | Esrange | ||||||
| BEXUS 16 | 2013-10-08 | Esrange | 12 000 m3 | 27,0 km | 4 hours | SSC | ||
| BEXUS 17 | 2013-10-10 | Esrange | 12 000 m3 | 26,8 km | SSC | |||
BEXUS Experiments
BEXUS 7
BEXUS 9
BEXUS 10/11
- CASS-E Cranfield Astrobiological Stratospheric Sampling Experiment
- PERDaix
- I-BATE (International Space University - Balloon Air traffic control Technology Experiment)
BEXUS 13
BEXUS 14/15
BEXUS 16/17
- FLASH Fluid Lab in the Stratosphere
- ARCADE-R2
- iSEDE
- TORMES
- DAEMON
See also
References
- 1 2 "Rexus Bexus". Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ↑ Grahn, Sven. "Rexus 1 - the first Swedish student rocket". Retrieved 1 April 2011.