Students on a space mission – Lerg SA supports young talent development in the REXUS/BEXUS programme
Advanced technologies, experiment testing in near-real space conditions and in-person participation in an international rocket program – this was the path a Slovakian student team has covered to successfully complete its project in the REXUS/BEXUS programme.
Lerg SA contributed by supporting young engineers in the course of this demanding and inspiring initiative, where practical application of technical knowledge is exemplary. Our company delivered the material solutions that played a key role in this challenge. Special-purpose resins were used to make core structural components and heatshields that had to withstand the extreme conditions during rocket flight.
From lab to rocket
The project started with a concept design and lab tests, which – as the work progressed – evolved into advanced integration effort.
The students completed a whole range of preparatory tests, including:
With each of these steps, the team got closer to achieving the ultimate goal, which was to take the experiment to near-space.
From integration to technical challenges
The project developed in stages, from lab testing, to Integration Week at the ZARM centre in Bremen, to final readiness for launch.
Still, the crowning moment of the project, i.e. the launch campaign (1–14 March 2026), was not free from significant challenges. For safety reasons, given past experience of the REXUS programme, the experiment module with fully active electronics was barred from flight. That decision was dictated by incomplete verification of the module in bench and vibration tests.
Despite this, the team continued their work and integrated the experiment into the rocket in the prescribed set-up.
The first launch window may have failed, but the second attempt was successful. The REXUS 35 and 36 rockets were launched and the student experiment was duly completed in-flight. The rocket module recovery also succeeded, despite difficult winter conditions.
Start and course of the mission
After the first attempt failed due to weather conditions, the experiment was launched on 10 March 2026 at 07:02.
The RX35 rocket reached altitude of 75.3 km with a manoeuvring acceleration of 16G, to successfully complete the module ejection.
In the experiment, key data and video recordings were taken for the entire ejection process.
Valuable results despite limitations
An interesting audio recording was also made during the rocket’s descent. Although the camera’s microphone was not particularly high-quality, it captured atypical sounds as it passed through the denser layers of the atmosphere. The recording stirred an interest among ESA, SSC and MORABA experts, as sounds of this kind are rarely recorded during rocket flights.
Determination and plans for the future
With the project, young engineers demonstrated their ability to effectively meet real technical and organizational challenges.
Even if not all objectives were achieved in full, the team developed working technical solutions and gained valuable design insights.
For the students, to take part in the REXUS/BEXUS programme means not only prestige, but above all invaluable experience in working on a real engineering project, from concept design, to testing, to the final flight.
The next step will be to reconstruct the module and carry out aircraft drop tests with a view to supplementing data gaps and redefining materials.
We support advanced engineering and young talents
Lerg SA’s commitment to such initiatives is part of a broader strategy to support education, advanced technical solutions and the development of future experts across technology industries.
Working hand-in-hand with young engineers is an investment in the future of both of the industrial sector and the entire knowledge-based economy.
Congratulations to the team on their success, and we keep our fingers crossed for further ambitious projects!
