Mapheus is a German sounding rocket programme run by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) since 2009. It is a research platform for experiments in weightlessness (microgravity) run by the DLR Institute of Frontier Materials on Earth and in Space, the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, and the DLR Mobile Rocket Basis MORABA. Each sub-orbital flight provides about 6 minutes of weightlessness conditions for research and technology development. Launches are roughly annually from the Esrange Space Center run by SSC Space. MAPHEUS is one of the European microgravity-research rocket programs, similar to the TEXUS or MASER/SubOrbital Express programs of the German and European space agencies (DLR and ESA). It currently focuses on research from materials physics and life sciences, and also serves as a technology test platform for the development and qualification of new sounding rocket vehicles and service systems. The DLR institutes develop and build the majority of the payload, often in collaboration with universities and other research centers.
Missions
MAPHEUS 1–4 (2009–2013) The first four launches of MAPHEUS were based on a two-stage Nike/Improved Orion vehicle, supporting payload with 14" diameter of around 190kg weight for flights up to around 150km height.
MAPHEUS 5–8 (2015–2019) With MAPHEUS 5, there was a switch to the VSB-30 two-stage vehicle and larger 17" payload, supporting heavier payloads for flights up to around 250km height. For MAPHEUS 7, the S-31 engine booster of the VSB-30 was combined with an Improved Malemute as the second stage.
MAPHEUS 9–13 (2021–2023) To establish an alternative to the VSB-30 vehicle, after MAPHEUS 8 a switch was performed to a two-stage Imroved Malemute (IM-IM) vehicle, using military surplus motors. Due to restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and due to inavailability of the Skylark launcher on Esrange, the launches of MAPHEUS 9/10 were postponed to 2021/2022, and MAPHEUS 11 was launched in 2021 with a much reduced experiment team. All IM-IM launches for MAPHEUS used the MAN launcher on Esrange.
MAPHEUS 14– (2024–) The launch of MAPHEUS 14 saw the first production use of RED KITE, a new sounding rocket motor produced by Bayern-Chemie and developed in cooperation with German Aerospace Center. MAPHEUS 15 demonstrated a flight to over 300km height, providing more than 7 minutes of time in weightlessness for more than 20 different experiments. It was also the 600th rocket launched from Esrange Space Center. MAPHEUS 16 was the first use of a two-stage RED KITE vehicle, allowing for a substantial increase in payload mass compared to earlier vehicles. This motor combination was later also used for the MASER-17 flight.
List of MAPHEUS launches
Scientific Experiments Microgravity experiments carried out on MAPHEUS vary from materials science to biology. Examples include additive manufacturing developing a gravity-independent powder bed fusion process,, experiments on granular matter, research on the solidification of metallic alloy melts, technology testing for solar cell materials fundamental research on colloidal active matter and on the properties of bio-membranes of vesicles as minimalistic biophysical models of cells and for pharmacodynamics.
See also Microgravity research Esrange - Swedish Space Cooperation TEXUS REXUS/BEXUS Maser Maxus
References
External links German Aerusoace Center (Aug 6, 2015). "Journey of a rocket – from launch to landing" (video). youtube.ocm. German Aerospace Center. German Aerospace Center (Aug 23, 2019). "Mission ATEK" (video). youtube.com. German Aerospace Center. Bayern Chemie (28 February 2024). "RED KITE". bayern-chemie.com. Bayern-Chemie. Retrieved 2024-12-04. BBC News (Feb 15, 2026). "Inside Europe's space race" (vide). youtube.com. Retrieved 2026-02-24.