Author: Nicolas Rohrbeck

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Goodbye, CDR!

Yesterday, on May 15th 2025, we had our Critical Design Review. After 20 minutes of information packed presentation by us we had a discussion about our design, requirements and general SED content.

During the presentation we showed around our preamplifier, ADC and NMRENA boards which represent the signal flow from the detector to the SD Card. We also presented the wrapped BGO scintillation crystal in its holder, complete with the mounting mechanism of the photodiodes that go on top and below the BGO holder. Here, the board gave some input on possible design improvements for easier and more light-weight fabication and mounting. After the review the experts said that they were happy to see the progress we made in real life instead of just pictures on a slide.

The board critisised our thermal design requesting more information and more calculations. However the overall progress of the project seemed to be satisfactory for the reviewers and we get to go ahead with finishing up fabrication and moving on to sub-system wise integrating and testing of our parts.

Nicolas, Milan and Niklas posing outside the review room

Today it’s time to say “Goodbye, CDR!” and head home. We are set to arrive in Kiel at 17:22 after traveling via Amsterdam and Osnabrück.

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CHAOS haunts SETH on their way to CDR

Spirits are high in the last train of the day (symbolic picture)

Today is the day that team SETH is set to join up in Leiden, near ESA’s ESTEC facility in Nordwijk!

The route from Kiel to Leiden should only take about 7h20 by train. However with a signal failure and damage to the overhead line in Hamburg and a cancelled train from Osnabrück to Amsterdam, the journey is all but straight forward. After getting off in Osnabrück HBF at short notice, we caught a local train to Hengelo. The Netherlands welcomed us by canceling the next few stops of our newly made up route due to an broken train on the track.

After checking the next options, we chose an Intercity train going to Amsterdam and connecting to an IC heading to Vlissingen via Leiden Centraal! We arrived in Amsterdam with a delay of about 25 minutes, missing this train.

Thankfuly there was another train departing for Rotterdam over Leiden. With a total travel time of 10 hours and 10 minutes we will finally make it to our destination at 19:13.

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Let’s set(h) off to the next review!

Kiel – Leiden is a mere 7 h 20 train journey with its longest leg from Osnabrück to Amsterdam.

The next Review on our journey is the Critical Design Review, or CDR for short, from 14th May to 17th May. There, the reviewers will critically review the proposed design. After the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in February, this is the second and last of the two design reviews.

We have submitted the second version of the Student Experiment Documentation (SED) for the review and will give a 20-minute presentation on the changes we have made since the last review.

Once this review is approved (fingers crossed), we will receive the official go-ahead to begin manufacturing all parts. We will start with single-part testing before gradually integrating and building more complex sub-groups and sub-functions. Each will be tested until the Integration Progress Review (IPR), where the initial functionality will be assessed by the reviewers visiting our institute.

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SETH at DLR Bonn

On Monday, November 25th 2024, SETH presented their experiment proposal to an international board of experts who will decide if we are chosen for BEXUS cycle 16.

We believe the presentation went well, as the ensuing discussion featured mostly content related questions and no critical remarks that showed scepticisim by the board.

We also had the opportunity to hear the proposals of all other REXUS and BEXUS candidates and wish everyone the best of luck and hope they will be accepted.

The decision which experiments will receive DLR support and are accepted for the BEXUS mission will be published until the 18th of december when the invites for the preliminary design review, as well as the student training week are sent out.

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CHAOS in Esrange

On friday the first members of team CHAOS arrived at Esrange Space Center. After getting security badges and a light dinner, everyone went to sleep excited for the first day!

Many tests were planned for the weekend which required us to mount CHAOS to the gondola and test the E-Link system with which we shall communicate during flight. CHAOS passed all individual tests with flying colors which meant we had some free time on sunday morning to go dor a short hike with the whole team.

We are now excited to see the results of todays interference test where the compatibility of all experiments on the gondola running at the same time is checked.

First meterological reports show a possible launch window on wednesday with ground winds at 1 m/s SW and higher altitude winds at 5 m/s SW.