T6 Entry Experiment

The Oxford T6 Stalker Tunnel, located at Oxford University, simulated the high speed aerothermodynamic gas radiative dynamics, and investigated the convective heat fluxes in a representative H2/He/CH4 environment. It is Europe’s fastest wind tunnel facility, providing a hypersonic, multi-mode and aerothermodynamic testing facility, based on the design by the late Professor Ray Stalker.

Through a combined German, British and ESA GSTP funded De-Risk activity, the High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group (HEFDiG) at the University of Stuttgart Institute of Space Systems (IRS), and the University of Oxford hypersonic group adapted their respective ground test facilities.

The image shows the luminosity during a test of the scaled 1:10 Galileo probe model with a 45 degree sphere cone. The test occurred at 18.0 km/s in 84.5% H2/15% He/0.5% CH4.