Applications open for new cycle of rocket and balloon experiments for university students
Are you a university student looking to gain hands-on experience outside the classroom? The REXUS/BEXUS programme offers you the chance to send your experiment to the edge of space on a sounding rocket (REXUS) or a stratospheric balloon (BEXUS)!
![Final assembly Team DROPSTAR](/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2024/06/final_assembly_team_dropstar/26166603-1-eng-GB/Final_assembly_Team_DROPSTAR_article.jpg)
The Call for Proposals for the 16th cycle of the Swedish-German REXUS/BEXUS programme is now open until the 14th October 2024, 23:59! This programme invites students from ESA member states, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia to apply. Selected teams will develop, test, and launch their experiments, gaining invaluable experience in space mission design and execution. Participants will also present their findings at an international symposium. Throughout this journey, participants are supported with training and feedback by agency and industry experts and collaborate with student teams from many other countries.
We warmly encourage universities that have never participated in the programme to join us and take advantage of this unique opportunity.
![Launch of REXUS 32](/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2024/06/launch_of_rexus_32/26166697-1-eng-GB/Launch_of_REXUS_32_article.jpg)
Platforms:
Each year, two rockets and two balloons are launched, carrying up to 20 experiments designed and built by student teams.
- REXUS Rocket: is a single-stage rocket propelled by an Improved Orion solid motor and reaches up to 96 km altitude. Carrying up to 4 experiments, it provides 3 minutes of reduced gravity during the flight.
- BEXUS Balloon: is a 12 000 m3 stratospheric balloon that floats at 20-30 km altitude for 1-2 hours. It carries 4-5 experiments on board.
![Launch of BEXUS 33](/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2024/06/launch_of_bexus_33/26166650-1-eng-GB/Launch_of_BEXUS_33_article.jpg)
Selection Process:
After submission of the experiment proposals, some teams will be invited to participate at a Selection Workshop at ESA-ESTEC, from 26th to 28th November 2024. There they will present their experiment ideas to a panel of experts, who will decide on the selection. Selected teams will be notified shortly after.
Timeline:
Following the selection, the major milestones for participating teams are:
- Training Week: February 2025 for balloon & rocket experiments
- Critical Design Reviews: May 2025 for balloon experiments and June 2025 for rocket experiments.
- Launch Campaign: October 2025 for balloon experiments and March 2026 for rocket experiments.
A more detailed schedule can be found here.
How to Apply:
To learn everything about the application process, check here.
Consult with ESA Academy
For guidance and support, contact the REXUS/BEXUS team at rexus-bexus@esa.int. Consultations do not influence the selection process.
I am studying in Germany – How should I apply?
Students in Germany should follow the specific application process detailed on the REXUS/BEXUS webpage.
![Post-Flight disassembly Team SHEAR](/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2024/06/post-flight_disassembly_team_shear/26166744-1-eng-GB/Post-Flight_disassembly_Team_SHEAR_article.jpg)
Funding and Support:
The REXUS/BEXUS programme is realised under a bilateral Agency Agreement between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). 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 SSC and the Mobile Rocket Base (MORABA) of DLR, is responsible for the campaign management and operations of the launch vehicles. Experts from DLR, SSC, ZARM, and ESA provide technical and logistic support to the student teams throughout the project. REXUS and BEXUS are launched from SSC, Esrange Space Center, in northern Sweden.
Contact:
rexus-bexus@esa.int
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to launch your experiment to space! Apply now!