EuroLaunch - A DLR and SSC Cooperation for Sounding Rcket and Balloon Missions

EuroLaunch is a cooperation between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and SSC in the field of sounding rocket and balloon activities. DLR and SSC are well equipped for supporting most types of sounding rocket and balloon missions using Esrange Space Center, the SSC launch facility, as the prime range or any other worldwide location depending on the scientific mission requirements. Esrange Space center is located north the Arctic Circle near the city of Kiruna. Esrange as well as the Mobile Rocket Base (DLR-MORABA) provides all expertise and infrastructure for the launch of sounding rockets and stratospheric balloons. The collaborative coordination of services and infrastructures creates an efficient, cost effective and flexible partner for sounding rocket- and balloon missions. Both partners have long experience in the sounding rocket and balloon business and EuroLaunch will continue to create synergies to the benefits of the customers. The paper gives an overview over completed, ongoing and future activites of EuroLaunch as well as over all the resources provided, for example facilities at Esrange, mobile infrastructure of MORABA, vehicle systems, payload systems and logistics

REXUS BEXUS - A Swedish-German co-operation for university student experiments on rockets and balloons

In June 2007 the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Board signed an agreement to jointly provide flight opportunities for university students to fly experiments on suborbital rockets and stratospheric balloons during a five year period. The implementation of this unique student programme is handled by EuroLaunch, which is a co-operation between the Mobile Rocket Base (MORABA) of DLR and the Swedish Space Corporation. Students from all ESA member states are eligible to apply to this programme, named REXUS (rockets) and BEXUS (balloons). The student programme involves two suborbital rocket missions and two stratospheric balloon flights per year. All flights are performed from the Esrange Space Center in Sweden. The REXUS is an unguided, spin-stabilised, solid propellant, single stage rocket. The BEXUS balloon has a volume of 12,000 m3 and a diameter of 25 m at floating altitude. The programme builds on experience of previous student missions where the best practices for how to carry out this kind of programme has been learnt. It involves students in all phases of a real space programme, from proposal through selection, design, reviews, construction, testing, flight campaign, and ending with data analysis and presentation of results. The students participate in a one week long Student Training Week, during which they learn about the space environment, best practices for design and assembly, integration and testing of space equipment, interfacing to power and telemetry and command links, and lessons learned from earlier students. A historical resume of previous flight opportunities for university students at Esrange and the current guidelines and procedures for REXUS and BEXUS flight opportunities involving DLR as well as the ESA Education office will be presented. The REXUS/BEXUS programme gives students the opportunity to efficiently build on the experience of today’s professional space engineers, and to obtain a flying start on their career

Both aerobic endurance and strength training programmes improve cardiovascular health in obese adults

Regular exercise training is recognized as a powerful tool to improve work capacity, endothelial function and the cardiovascular risk profile in obesity, but it is unknown which of high-intensity aerobic exercise, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or strength training is the optimal mode of exercise. In the present study, a total of 40 subjects were randomized to high-intensity interval aerobic training, continuous moderate-intensity aerobic training or maximal strength training programmes for 12-áweeks, three times/week. The high-intensity group performed aerobic interval walking/running at 85GÇô95% of maximal heart rate, whereas the moderate-intensity group exercised continuously at 60GÇô70% of maximal heart rate; protocols were isocaloric. The strength training group performed GÇÿhigh-intensityGÇÖ leg press, abdominal and back strength training. Maximal oxygen uptake and endothelial function improved in all groups; the greatest improvement was observed after high-intensity training, and an equal improvement was observed after moderate-intensity aerobic training and strength training. High-intensity aerobic training and strength training were associated with increased PGC-1+¦ (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor +¦ co-activator 1+¦) levels and improved Ca2+ transport in the skeletal muscle, whereas only strength training improved antioxidant status. Both strength training and moderate-intensity aerobic training decreased oxidized LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels. Only aerobic training decreased body weight and diastolic blood pressure. In conclusion, high-intensity aerobic interval training was better than moderate-intensity aerobic training in improving aerobic work capacity and endothelial function. An important contribution towards improved aerobic work capacity, endothelial function and cardiovascular health originates from strength training, which may serve as a substitute when whole-body aerobic exercise is contra-indicated or difficult to perfor