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Science & Exploration

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ESA / Science & Exploration / Human and Robotic Exploration / EXPERT

A great number of entities spread all over Europe is involved in the EXPERT project. On the one hand, scientific institutions perform the experiments according to their competence and on the other hand an industrial team is developing the vehicle that serves as flying wind tunnel for experiments in science field of aerothermodynamics. The experiments are mainly funded through the ESA Basic Technology Research Programme (TRP) and the vehicle mainly through the ESA General Support Technology Programme (GSTP).

The following institutions perform experiments during the re-entry flight:

  • German Aerospace Centre, Institute of Design, Stuttgart, Germany (DLR Stuttgart)-Ceramic Nose Experiment
  • Hypersonic Technology Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany (HTG) -Payload 1, Flush Air Data System(FADS)
  • University of Stuttgart, Institute for Space Systems, Stuttgart, Germany (IRS) – Payload 2, Pyrex
  • University of Stuttgart, Institute for Space Systems, Stuttgart, Germany (IRS)– Payload 3, Phlux
  • Italian Aerospace Centre, Capua, Italy (CIRA)- Payload 4, Natural Transition
  • Von Karman Institute, Rhode-St.-Genese, Belgium (VKI) - Payload 5, Roughness Induced Transition
  • German Aerospace Centre, Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology, Cologne, Germany (DLR Cologne) -Payload 6, Flap Efficiency
  • Italian Aerospace Centre, Capua, Italy (CIRA) - Payload 7, Shock Wave Boundary Interaction
  • RUAG, Wallisellen, Switzerland (RUAG) – Payload 8, Flap Heating
  • University of Stuttgart, Institute for Space Systems, Stuttgart, Germany (IRS) – Payload 10, Re-Entry Spectrometer (RESPECT)
  • Von Karman Institute, Rhode-St.-Genese, Belgium - Payload 11 (VKI), Instrumented TPS Junction
  • Alta SpA, Pisa, Italy (ALTA) – Payload 12, Base Flow
  • Hypersonic Technology Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany(HTG)-Payload 13, Skin Friction
  • Italian Aerospace Centre, Capua, Italy(CIRA)- Payload 15, Ultra High Temperature Ceramics
  • INASMET Tecnalia, San Sebastian, Spain (INASMET)- Payload 18, Intermetallic Tile

For further information contact

Anthony Thirkettle,
EXPERT System Engineer
Anthony.Charles.Thirkettle @ esa.int