ESA and DLR test rocket-emissions measurement concept
- The Firewall campaign used Mapheus-17 to prove a concept for measuring rocket emissions.
- A Falcon 20E research aircraft departed 20 minutes ahead of Mapheus-17 and passed through the exhaust.
- NASA contributed ground-based instruments for carbon dioxide detection during the campaign.
- Mapheus-17 reached almost 300 km and returned to Earth 16 minutes after liftoff.
What happened
ESA and DLR worked together to measure rocket emissions during the Mapheus-17 flight from Esrange, Sweden. The Firewall campaign provided a proof of concept for measuring those emissions.
What we know
Mapheus-17 reached almost 300 km in altitude and returned to Earth 16 minutes after liftoff. It landed around 70 km downrange of the launch pad.
The rocket carried several experiments covering materials science, life sciences and technology tests under microgravity conditions.
A Falcon 20E research aircraft carried instruments for measuring gases and particles within the rocket exhaust. It departed around 20 minutes ahead of the rocket, flew between 2 and 6 km in altitude, and landed safely after passing through the exhaust.
Firewall aims to develop a rocket-emissions measurement concept. ESA and DLR collaborated on the measurements, while NASA contributed ground-based instruments for detecting carbon dioxide. The campaign achieved a proof of concept.
Why it matters
For readers tracking the lunar industry, the relevant result is the proof of concept for rocket-emissions measurement. The campaign brought together airborne exhaust measurements and ground-based carbon dioxide detection, making measurement capability—not a quantified emissions finding—the central reported outcome.
Sources
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