Research under Space Conditions
Experiments in "microgravity" (µg) or (more precisely) under conditions of weightlessness enable the investigation of phenomena that would not be detectable in the presence of Earth's gravity. By eliminating gravity as a disturbing factor, new parameter regimes can be achieved, the study of which allows us to better understand many fundamental mechanisms of matter. Weightlessness can be achieved in free-fall experiments, and a number of µg platforms allow such experiments to be carried out: weighing up the achievable experiment duration and the effort required to carry out the experiment, these include drop towers, parabolic flights, sounding rockets, orbital platforms and the International Space Station (ISS),
At the Institute, we invent, design, build and conduct experiments that utilize all of these important µg platforms to understand a broad spectrum of physical phenomena of materials, ranging from mass transport, surface properties and solidification in molten metals, to the study of complex fluids, soft and active materials, and the physics of granular matter.