ZARM Drop Tower becomes ESA External Facility

This prestigious title will be conferred at a ceremony at ZARM on 2 October, beginning at 12:45, attended by the Mayor of Bremen and President of the City Senate Dr Henning Scherf, Prof. Dr Hans J. Rath, ZARM Director General, Dr Hans Kappler, ESA Director of Industrial Matters and Technology Programmes, and Mr Gaele Winters, ESA Director of Technical and Operational Support.

ZARM Drop Tower obtains this prestigious title in consideration of the fact that it is both unique in Europe and regularly used by ESA. The Drop Tower offers the capability of conducting extensive research in microgravity, and it is an essential test bench for projects about to become operational. For both applications, ZARM has provided years of invaluable access to reduced gravity conditions for thousands of experiments, in many of which ESA has been involved.

The introduction of the catapult, planned for this year, will double the time available at reduced gravity conditions, opening broader possibilities in the future. Such extended use of this facility becomes available in good time for the International Space Station exploitation phase, for microgravity applications in particular.

The contract signature will be followed by the performance of a drop in the Tower and the presentation of the Catapult System. After a light lunch, there will be a short inspection of the Tower’s interior, ending around 14:30 hrs.

Contact points:

M. Buoso
ESA/ESTEC
D/IMT Coordinator of Communication
Keplerlaan 1
2201 AZ Noordwijk
The Netherlands
Tel. +31 71 565 4982
Fax. +31 71 565 5416

Peter von Kampen
ZARM-FAB mbH
Drop Tower Operation and Service Company
Am Fallturm
28359 Bremen
Germany
Tel. +49 421 218 48 04
Fax +49 421 218 38 89
e-mail pvkampen@zarm.uni-bremen.de