At 6 AM local time, SubOrbital Express-4 lifted off, reaching an altitude of 256 kilometers, where the experiments onboard were able to operate in a microgravity environment for six minutes. After more than two years of meticulous planning and preparation, scientists from the United States, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden watched as their research ascended into the snowy skies.
“Our sounding rocket program SubOrbital Express offers researchers, scientists, and commercial companies quick and easy shared-ride access to microgravity conditions in space. We are proud to announce another successful launch and safe journey to space for these important science projects. Imagine the potential long-term benefits that could arise from the discoveries made through these projects,” says Charlotta Sund, CEO at SSC.
“I am very excited to see that ESA is onboard SubOrbital Express supporting three experiments: one in biological science and two in physical science. On top of that, Esrange as test range has a huge potential for future exploration activities and I am looking forward to deepening the cooperation, said Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at the European Space Agency (ESA), during his visit to the campaign at Esrange.
The six science projects included in the launch are:
- MicACTin: Experiment to investigate how the immune system is affected by microgravity.
- LiFiCo: Physical chemistry experiment to investigate improved solar cell techniques.
- DUST-II: Experiment to investigate how tiny grains of dust form and grow in space.
- JACKS: Experiment to investigate how granular gases behave in microgravity.
- BFS: Study of how gravity changes affect biological processes in bladderwrack.
- TATTS: Experiment to capture a video of the behavior of water in a microgravity environment.
The success of SubOrbital Express-4 marks a significant achievement for SSC and its partners, further advancing scientific understanding in key areas that could have far-reaching impacts on technology, medicine, and environmental sustainability.
