Europe’s largest sounding rocket successfully launched from Esrange
Today MAXUS 9, Europe’s largest sounding rocket for experiments in microgravity, successfully lifted off from SSC’s (Swedish Space Corporation’s) launch facility Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. The rocket was launched at 11:30 local time and carried nine scientific experiments and a technology demonstrator, all together 579 kg, to an altitude of 678 km which enabled slightly more than 12 minutes and of stable microgravity, 10-5 g. The payload landed with a parachute within the impact area and will be recovered by helicopter. The rocket engineers will then