Rocket and Balloon Experiments for University Students (REXUS/BEXUS)

Among many other student projects ESA Education Office announced a call for proposals for the REXUS 11&12 and the BEXUS 12&13 flights for university students in 2010. The REXUS/BEXUS programme allows students from universities and higher education colleges across Europe to carry out scientific and technological experiments on research rockets and balloons.

Each year, two rockets, capable of taking 40 kg of student experiment modules to an altitude of approximately 100 km, and two balloons capable of lifting their payloads to a maximum altitude of 35 km, depending on total experiment mass (40-100 kg) are launched, carrying up to 20 experiments designed and built by student teams.

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.

For more information, please visit the REXUS/BEXUS website and the DLR REXUS/BEXUS webpages.