Author: Janna Martens

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EAR passed!

Last week a few of our group went to Bremen, Germany, to complete the last milestone before the Launch Campaign – the Experiment Acceptance Rewiev and the Thermal Vacuum Test at ZARM. We arrived on Sunday evening and set up our experiment first thing Monday morning in the thermal vacuum chamber.

We then ran a temperature and pressure profile similar to what we expect during the flight: the pressure went down to 10 mbar and the inside of the chamber was cooled to -50°C. Our experiment measured reliably throughout. We were also able to test our insulation for the first time.

The flight software worked as well; it shuts off the high voltage when the balloon descends and pressure rises above 800 mbar.

At ZARM in Bremen, they have a large drop tower that allows for experiments in microgravity. Interestingly, a colleague who completed his diploma at the university of Kiel some years ago, was there as well, and we were able to see their experiment in microgravity.

Since there were no complications during our test, we had some time to explore Bremen on Monday. On Tuesday, we had the Experiment Acceptance Review (EAR), the final review before the flight, during which our experiment was officially approved. It is now being shipped from ZARM to Kiruna.

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IPR completed!

The next milestone on the road to the CHAOS launch is completed. On July 30th, two experts from ZARM visited us in Kiel to check on our integration process. We told them about the changes we have made since the CDR in Nordwijk and shown them our assembled instrument. The successful integration took place around two weeks ago, where we assembled the sensor head as well as the electronics to form a successfully measuring instrument. We are currently running a lot of test measurements to fully understand the instrument since it is the first time that an instrument-design as such has been integrated.

This current progress was presented to the experts from ZARM who were happy with the status. We hope to get the official pass soon. Then, the next step is the thermal vacuum test and the EAR (experiment acceptance review) at ZARM in Bremen, Germany in the first week of September. Until then, we will finalize the integration process and continue with the testing to minimize errors. Stay tuned for the journey!

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CDR passed!

From 15th to 17th May 2024, we went to ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre) in Noordwijk, Netherlands. There we had our CDR (Critical Design Review). Again, we presented progress we made on our experiment to the review board, which was made up of experts from DLR, ESA, ZARM and SSC. Even though the board had some useful comments and tips for us, we passed the review, and our experiment design was accepted. Now, we can focus all our efforts on integrating the CHAOS instrument. The next milestone will be the IPR (Integration Progress Review) at the end of July. Two experts from ZARM will visit us in Kiel and inspect the integration process.

Although it was an exhausting couple of days, we had a lot of fun in the Netherlands and used the time to explore the cities of Leiden and Amsterdam. Stay tuned for more information on CHAOS!

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DPG Spring Meeting in Greifswald, Germany

Last week, a few of us went to Greifswald, Germany, to take part in the Spring Conference of the German Physics Society. Hannes presented our instrument and the BEXUS campaign, while Tom talked about his Bachelor’s thesis, regarding the pathways of photons in the BGO scintillator crystal. Jasper had prepared a poster for the mechanical setup of the experiment.

This was a great experience where we could get in contact with physicists from all over Germany and got to hear some very interesting talks from different topics. But now, we will be heading back to work on the instrument and prepare for our journey to the CDR in the Netherlands!

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Preliminary Design Review passed!

We are happy to report that we passed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR)! The next step will be the Critical Design Review (CDR) taking place in May. We will be travelling to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, to present our final design in front of a board of experts.

Stay tuned for our journey with CHAOS!

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Student Training Week at Esrange Space Center, Kiruna

This weekend, a segment of our group traveled from Hamburg to Kiruna, Sweden, to participate in the Student Training Week hosted at the Esrange Space Center. Upon arrival, we met with other BEXUS/REXUS teams at the airport and proceeded together to the center via bus.

The week commenced with a series of informative presentations about Esrange and the associated Space Agencies on Monday. A significant part of our schedule was dedicated to the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), during which we presented the current status of our experiment to a panel of experts. The session was interactive, with a focus on our project’s high voltage systems and pressure housing, prompting a detailed discussion and questions from the panel.

Throughout the week, we plan to provide additional information based on the feedback received and hope to progress to the next phase of the project.

In addition to project-related activities, the week included a tour of the Esrange site and further presentations, offering us the opportunity to learn more about space exploration and to network with teams from across Europe.

Stay tuned for more insights from our trip to Sweden!