Ready to Launch Your Experiment? Apply Now for the new cycle of the REXUS/BEXUS Programme!
Are you a university student eager to step beyond the classroom and gain real-world experience in the space sector? The REXUS/BEXUS programme offers you the chance to design and send your own experiment to the edge of space — on board either a sounding rocket (REXUS) or a stratospheric balloon (BEXUS)!
Applications are now open for the 17th Cycle of this unique international programme. Do not miss the opportunity to turn your ideas into reality and embark on a professional space project from start to finish.
Why Apply?
Selected student teams will design, build, test, and launch their experiments, supported throughout by experts from space agencies and industry. Participants have also the chance to present their results at an international symposium, building skills in communication and scientific outreach.
Importantly, experiments do not need to be highly complex. Simple, well-thought-out concepts are strongly encouraged, and participants coming from universities who have never attended ESA Education programmes before are warmly welcomed. The REXUS/BEXUS programme is about learning by doing!
Platforms
Each year, two rockets and two balloons are launched, carrying up to 20 student experiments:
REXUS Rocket: A single-stage rocket powered by an Improved Orion solid motor, reaching up to 90 km altitude and offering approximately two minutes of reduced gravity. Each flight carries up to four experiments.
BEXUS Balloon: A 12,000 m³ stratospheric balloon floating at 20–30 km altitude for 1–2 hours, carrying four to five experiments per flight.
Selection and Timeline
The deadline to submit an experiment proposal is on 13 October 2025, 23:59 CEST. Following the deadline, experiment proposals will be reviewed and shortlisted student teams will be invited to present their ideas to a panel of experts at a Selection Workshop taking place at ESA-ESTEC in the Netherlands from 25–27 November 2025. Here a final selection of experiments will be done.
Selected balloon (BEXUS) and rocket (REXUS) experiments will be launched in October 2026 and March 2027, respectively.
A detailed timeline can be found here.
Who Can Apply?
Students from universities in ESA Member States, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia are eligible. We particularly encourage applications from universities new to the programme!
How to Apply
Find the full application guidelines here.
Important: Students currently enrolled at German universities must follow the specific German application process described on the REXUS/BEXUS webpage.
Support Along the Way
If you are applying for the first time, feel inexperienced, are unsure about what information is needed, or simply do not know where to start — do not worry. Two Information Sessions will be organised online:
- Tuesday 22 July 2025, 16:00–17:30 CEST
- Tuesday 9 September 2025, 16:00–17:30 CEST
These webinars are a great opportunity to ask questions and understand how to prepare your proposal! Please register to attend using the following link.
Additionally, you can contact the REXUS/BEXUS team at any time at rexus-bexus@esa.int for advice and guidance. Early consultation is highly recommended and does not influence the selection outcome.
About the Programme
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 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 DLR, SSC, ZARM and ESA provide technical support to the student teams throughout the project. REXUS and BEXUS are launched from SSC, Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden.