SSC – Successful Launch of Cryogenic Liquid Experiment

Photo Anders Aberg, SSC Vidsel Test Range.

On Sunday 22th of February at 07.52 UTC, the sounding rocket Cryofenix was launched from SSC’s launching facility Esrange Space Center using a two-stage VSB30 rocket.

Cryofenix reached an apogee of 265 km and the payload spent 6 minutes in microgravity.

The experiment Cryofenix studied the behavior of cryogenic liquids as part of the French space agency CNES’ launcher technology program. Cryofenix completed the validation of various simulations of the behavior of fluids in the ballistic phase, which for ten years have been developed by Air Liquide Advanced Technologies (ALAT) and CNES within the framework of the technology research program.

SSC has been subcontractor to Air Liquide Advanced Technologies and was responsible for the development of two new complex modules; a control module for the main experiment module developed by ALAT and a thruster module to apply a controlled linear acceleration to the payload in flight. SSC also delivered the launch service from Esrange Space Center.