The History of Sounding Rockets and Their Contribution to ... - ESA

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The service systems, mounted on the top of the payload, consist of the telemetry module and the high-altitude
parachute-recovery system with 1000 kg capability, with a two-stage system deploying the drogue and
main parachutes derived from the Texus recovery system. To protect the Maxus payload against heat loads
during the re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, all external structures are coated with zirconium oxide. On
its aft end, the payload has a re-entry cone, which can take the heat loads and reduces the landing shock on
impact with the ground. By spinning up the payload one tries to reduce the re-entry speed of more than 3300
m/s to about 150 m/s.
Mini -Texus programme
In addition to the demand for longer-duration sounding-rocket fl ight opportunities on Maxus, there was a
need for shorter, inexpensive fl ight opportunities providing of the order of 3-4 min long periods of microgravity.
DLR developed, via industry (ERNO), the ‘Mini-Texus’ sounding-rocket fl ight opportunities for
this purpose. Mini-Texus was always launched in combination with a Texus or Maxus mission within the
same launch campaign in order to minimise costs. ESA also participated in Mini-Texus from 1992 until
1998.
ESA exploitation of various sounding-rocket types
A breakdown of ESA’s use of the four sounding-rocket programmes Texus, Maser, Maxus and Mini-Texus,
is given in Table 6-1:
Table 6-1. Characteristics and degree of ESA’s use of various European sounding-rocket types
Texus/ Maser/Sky- Maxus Castor Mini-Texus New Rocket
Skylark 7 lark 7 and 4B Nike/Orion VBS-30 for
Black Brant Texus-Maser
Payload mass 370 kg 370 kg 800 kg 160 kg 400 kg
Sci. payload mass 250 kg 250 kg 480 kg 100 kg 270 kg
Microgravity time 6 min 6 min 12-13 min 3-4 min 6-7 min
No. expt. modules
Average % use by
3-4 3-4 4-5 1-2 3-4
ESA experiments 49% 33% 14% 4% -
No. of fl ights 43 10 7 6
(1977-2006) (87-2005) (1992-2006) (1992- 98) (start 2006)
The Maser 10 fl ight conducted on 2 May 2005 used the last Skylark 7 rocket.
From November 2005 onwards, the Brazilian VBS-30 rocket has been used for Texus and Maser. This
replacement for Skylark 7 and Black Brant was developed and qualifi ed following close collaboration between
MORABA/DLR and the Brazilian aerospace organisations CTA and IAE. As can be seen from Table
6.1, the technical capabilities of the VBS-30 are slightly higher than those of the Skylark 7 and the Black
Brant used for Maser.