PK-3 Plus

Short Description:

PK-3 Plus, as its precursor PKE-Nefedov, is a joint Russian/German scientific project. The collaborating science teams are from the Russian Academy Institute for High Energy Densities in Moscow and from MPE. The scientists and engineers from both institutions have been working since 2002 on the realisation of PK-3 Plus. In December 2005 this next-generation complex plasma experiment facility was launched to the International Space Station ISS with a russian Progress cargo spacecraft. First experiments were performed in January 2006. The science model, which was tested on two parabolic flight campaigns is kept with additional diagnostics at MPE for further laboratory investigations, and for the planning and tests of the experiments on board of the ISS. At the request of ESA, the Russian/German science team agreed to make PK-3 Plus available for research to other scientists from ESA, thus providing much-needed new science impulses to the community within ESA's interim ISS utilisation programme.

Project Type:

Instrument for International Space Station ISS

MPE Participation:

Project lead in the joint Russian/German project.

Status:

launch to ISS:      December 2005

first experiment:  January 2006

actual status:      acive; used during experiments