Category Archives: News

The aim of the workshop is to discuss the scientific data obtained from the first Parabolic Flight Campaign (Nov. 2015) of the VIPGRAN experiment. We will also fix the parameters of the experiment for the next Parabolic Flight Campaign taking … Continue reading →

 The first parabolic flight campaign of the Vip-Gran instrument were performed in Bordeaux  (France) in November 2015. The main goal of this campaign was to demonstrate the compliance of the instrument (built by DTM Technologies) with the Scientific Requirements. Top: … Continue reading →

The Space Grains collaboration will use the Vip-Gran instrument for the first time in Parabolic Flight in November 2015 during the 63rd ESA PFC at Novespace, Bordeaux (France). The selected experiment is entitled: “PF-63/5 Vibration-Induced Phenomena in Granular Materials. Tests … Continue reading →

First trainings with the VIP-GRAN instrument (developed for Parabolic Flights by DTM Technologies) were performed in Modena (Italy) from 7th to 9th july 2015. Review of tests performed by DTM were discussed, and training of the scientific team were realized. … Continue reading →

The Experiment Scientific Requirements (ESR) of the Vip-gran instrument for International Space Station (ISS) is now available. The scheduled flight of the instrument to ISS is 2019. The date of issue of this new ESR is 24/01/2014. Download it: ESR-VIPGRAN … Continue reading →

The Experiment Scientific Requirements (ESR) of the Vip-gran instrument prototype in Parabolic Flight Campaigns (PFC) is now available. First PFC are  foreseen in 2016. The date of issue of this new ESR is 31/01/2014. Download it: ESR-VIPGRAN-PF_final

  The Topical Team meeting has been held in ESTEC/ESA, Noordwijk, Holland on December 4 and 5, 2013. The scientific objectives and requirements of the instrument have been first recalled, then its status and breadboard test results have been presented. … Continue reading →

The phase B study of the VIP-GRAN instrument was recently successfully completed and industry working under ESA contract produced a design of the instrument foreseeing accommodation in the European Drawer Rack in Columbus that passed Preliminary Design Review (PDR). The … Continue reading →

What is the difference between dynamical clustering and cooling ? This question is often debated. Cooling is the mechanism in which successive inelastic collisions dissipate the energy of the granular gas, leading to large scale inhomogeneities called clusters. The latter … Continue reading →

 The development status of the instrument is in phase B (preliminary design phase) which started in june 2010. This phase is mainly focusing on the development of  motors and the characterization of their performances. Phase B includes also testing at … Continue reading →