News list > REXUS/BEXUS - Rocket and Balloon Experiments for University Students
REXUS/BEXUS - Rocket and Balloon Experiments for University Students
26 September 2011
The REXUS/BEXUS 2012 Call for Proposals is now open until 23 October 2011!
The REXUS/BEXUS programme allows students from universities and higher education colleges across Europe to carry out scientific and technological experiments on research rockets and balloons. Each year, two rockets and two balloons are launched, carrying up to 20 experiments designed and built by student teams.
These papers illustrate how space technologies can improve our knowledge of the sustainability of our living conditions on earth. In addition, they highlight the contribution of space technologies to improving the competitiveness and innovative capacity of European industry.
- REXUS experiments are launched on an unguided, spin-stabilised rocket powered by an Improved Orion Motor with 290 kg of solid propellant. It is capable of taking 40 kg of student experiment modules to an altitude of approximately 100 km. The vehicle has a length of approx. 5.6 m and a body diameter of 35.6 cm.
- BEXUS experiments are lifted by a balloon with a volume of 12 000 m³ to a maximum altitude of 35 km, depending on total experiment mass (40-100 kg). The flight duration is 2-5 hours.
European Commision COSMOS is financed by the European Commision, DG Enterprise and Industry within the 7th EU Framework Programme