Carrier System for the Einstein-Elevator

An important component of the Hannover Center for Microgravity Research is an experiment carrier that is used in the gondola of the Einstein-Elevator. In cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Institute of Transport and Automation Technology (ITA) has built a carrier that makes it possible to exploit the maximum potential of the Einstein-Elevator. With the help of this carrier, experiments from the fields of production technology and basic physical research can be realized.

Experiments in basic physical research place high demands on the residual acceleration during the experiment. The carrier is therefore able to achieve a residual acceleration of less than 10-6 g (microgravity). A vacuum inside the gondola for acoustic decoupling and a carrier construction that is as rigid as possible make this possible. For production technology experiments, on the other hand, it is necessary to dissipate thermal energy from the carrier. A separate cooling system was required for this, which can be decoupled from the nacelle and the rest of the system during the experiment. All experiments are possible with this carrier system. A high degree of flexibility was therefore required for the experiment carrier.

With the help of the knowledge gained from the experiments, it was possible to develop a new type of measurement technology with high measurement accuracy. Furthermore, manufacturing processes were developed that can be used in space and on the surface of the Moon and Mars.