Mapheus 5
Mapheus 5 is a high-altitude research rocket prepared by the German Aerospace Center and launched on 30 June 2015 from the Esrange Space Center in Sweden. The rocket ascended to an altitude of 253 km (157 mi) in 74 seconds to reach a state of microgravity lasting over six minutes. The maximum speed obtained was Mach 6.5 or 2,000 m/s (4,500 mph). This rocket was used to conduct experiments from the fields of material physics and biology. The rocket section carrying the test systems landed after approximately 15 minutes at about 70 km (43 mi) North of the launch site, where it was recovered by helicopter.[1]
During this experiment, plants responded to the absence of Earth's gravity. 2,500 steel balls with a diameter of 1.6 mm (0.063 in) collided, metal samples were X-rayed and suspended metal balls were melted using a laser. The data acquired is being analysed and interpreted in the German Aerospace Center laboratories.[2]