Texus 49

The TEXUS project is a rocket which tries to investigate the properties of materials, and how those behave in a microgravity enviroment. This materials can be either current materials, or chemical and biological ones. And thats what in this particular mission are going to study: The DNA stability and function after a space flight.

Moreover, the project gives the studying material a period of more or less six minutes of microgravity. This situation leads to logical efects on the molecules.

The program started in 1977 and is carried out at the Esrange Space Center (ESC) by DLR and EADS Astrium. SSC is the responsible for the launch. The TEXUS campaignes are sometimes financed by ESA, or both ESA and DLR.


For what the actual project is concerned. The rocket vehicle Skylark 7 was used very successfully for the first 25 years until the motor was no longer available. The Brazilian motor VSB-30 has been used for the TEXUS programme since 2005 and will be used to launch the TEXUS 49 payload to around 270 km altitude. 
The TEXUS 49 payload carries three experiment modules on-board in which four different experiments are performed. This campaign is funded by DLR. 

Now, the results have been studied, and by the hand of Dr. Cora S. Thief, Dr. Vladimir Pietser and Prof Dr. Oliver Ultrich. Their results may be seen on this video video.

More information may be found here.