ERC Campaign

May 8, 2015
ERC Campaign

The ERC campaign

will require the release of drop-bodies (DTVs) from three separate balloons.
The aim is to provide tests of three Earth re-entry capsule shapes, to validate the designs and provide a detailed aerodynamic characterization of the selected configurations via free flights by means of balloon drop tests.
A total of six capsules will be tested. The programme is managed by Vorticity Ltd on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).

There will be three different test vehicles attached to a suspension bar.
The different vehicles comprise a full-scale ERC test vehicle and a SHAPE test vehicle.

General information

Launch site Esrange Space Center
Launch date 1st drop test launched on June 15

2nd drop-test launched on June 21

3rd drop-test launched on Aug 5
Mass/kg 503,2 kg
Balloon size Zodiac 50SF
Height Flight termination
at ~28 and ~35 km

Contact persons:

Mr. Mark Smith, Project Manager SSC mark.smith@sscspace.com

John Underwood, Vorticity Ltd John.Underwood@vorticity-systems.com

Related Posts

View All

NASA SUNRISE-III balloon launched

02:07 July 10, 2024

At 06:22 local time on the 10th of July, the NASA balloon carrying the SUNRISE-III payload was successfully launched from Esrange Space Center. The balloon has a volume of 970 000 m3 when it reaches float altitude of approximately 36 ...

NASA XL-Calibur balloon launched

06:07 July 9, 2024

At 05:04 local time on the 9th of July, the XL-Calibur ballon from NASA was successfully launched from Esrange Space Center....

CNES’s first transatlantic balloon voyage starts at Esrange

15:06 June 23, 2024

At 20:57 local time on the 22nd of June, the TRANSAT ballon from CNES was successfully launched from Esrange, outside the town of Kiruna in Northern Sweden. This was also the French space agency’s first transatlantic balloon, aiming for a ...

Historic giant balloon to be launched from Esrange

14:05 May 23, 2024

Starting at the end of May, a real balloon bonanza begins at the Esrange Space Center. A total of eight balloons – five transatlantic and two stationary stratospheric ballons as well as one student balloon – will be launched from ...

BEXUS 32 and 33 launched with great success

09:09 September 26, 2023

Both BEXUS 32 and 33 were successfully launched from Esrange Space Center, despite very challenging weather with 38 cm of snowfall less than 24 hours before the first launch....

Third and final HEMERA balloon launched

11:09 September 14, 2022

Early morning at 3:20 CET, on 7 September, this year’s third and final balloon within the HEMERA program was launched from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden....

XL-Calibur reached the sky: “The most beautiful launch”

09:07 July 13, 2022

Another successful launch of a giant balloon has taken place at Esrange Space Center outside Kiruna in northern Sweden....

BEXUS 30/31

12:09 September 29, 2021

...

CNES 2021

09:09 September 3, 2021

...

CNES completes series of balloon flights focused on climate research

15:08 August 31, 2021

The French space agency CNES has successfully completed a series of climate research balloon flights at Esrange Space Center outside Kiruna in northern Sweden. Through four separate balloon flights conducted between 13–23 August, carrying a total of 17 different research ...