Successful flight of Maxus 6 sounding rocket
The Maxus 6 sounding rocket was successfully launched from Esrange, the Swedish Space Corporation rocket base in Kiruna, at 09:35 CET (08:35 UT) this morning. Carrying a payload of eight scientific experiments, the rocket reached an altitude of 706 km before falling back to Earth - providing twelve minutes of microgravity.
Powered by a Castor IV b motor, the Maxus 6 rocket was launched into clear blue skies shortly after sunrise. The experiments, in biology, fluid physics and material science, were monitored throughout using mission telemetry, which functioned perfectly. Video images and data received at Esrange show that the experiments went well.
The payload package was found soon after landing and recovered by helicopter. Flight samples of the materials science and the biological experiments will now be returned to the scientists for further scientific analysis at their home institutes.
Speaking from the control room at Esrange, Wolfgang Herfs, ESA's sounding rocket project manager, congratulated all involved in the Maxus 6 campaign. Maxus 7, is planned for the spring of 2006.
