The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Kiruna, Sweden, at the Esrange launch facility for the Texus-56 sounding rocket launch with two ESA experiments: ICAPS is looking at how planet's are formed from dust and Perwaves is investigating a new type of flame by burning metal powder in zero gravity.
Sounding rockets launch experiments to the edge of space before falling back to Earth. These flights can carry 100-kg experiments up to 750 km high with up to 13 minutes of microgravity included in the ticket.
Once the rocket motors shut off, the experiments enter freefall, even though at this point they are still heading upwards. On the downward arc parachutes deploy and gravity takes over once again, lowering the experiments to the ground with impact speeds of around 8 m/s.
ESA has used sounding rockets for over 30 years to investigate phenomena under microgravity from Esrange in northern Sweden.
Experiments are held in circular containers with diameters of up to 60 cm. The containers are held by elastic dampers to reduce launch vibrations.