On June 23rd, the second configuration of the DropCoal experiment was successfully launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This milestone marked RISE’s second hardware mission in space, this time hosted by the NYX capsule developed by The Exploration Company.

Installed inside the capsule, DropCoal was powered-on 11 minutes after lift-off, relying on the NYX capsule for power and triggering the experiment. The operational window was approximately 30 minutes, during which multiple experiments for droplet coalescence were commanded automatically by the on board computer. Scientific data was stored onboard the experiment, with partial data being sent to the capsule storage. Main data retrieval was scheduled for after recovery of the hardware.
Unfortunately, communication with the capsule was lost during the atmospheric braking under parachute/drogue. Preliminary investigations suggest a malfunction in the parachute system, which probably resulted in a high velocity impact in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. While some data may still be retrievable from the capsule’s transmitted telemetry, hardware recovery is highly unlikely.
Although this is a less than optimal result, the Romanian team celebrates the partial success of the mission. Development for space is not always straightforward, but the innovations and lessons learned offer a strong foundation for implementing new challenging missions. We are working with The Exploration Company to retrieve any relevant data that was transmitted during the orbital phase of the mission.

This mission represents the second phase of the DropCoal program, which has already launched and operated an experiment aboard the International Space Station. The NYX-hosted configuration was expected to be the first RISE-developed hardware to return to Earth, adding a new layer of complexity and ambition to the mission.
DropCoal explores droplet coalescence in microgravity, a phenomenon with important implications for both space and terrestrial fluid dynamics. The results from the ISS and orbital experiments are helping scientists better understand fluid behavior in extreme conditions – paving the way for future innovations in medicine, materials science, and aerospace engineering. DropCoal was financed by the European Space Agency, through the Human and Robotic Exploration programme.
RISE is an R&D focused company developing hardware for space and offering support for both implementing solutions based on space assets and deploying new technologies to orbit. Our expertise covers the whole concept-to-completion spectrum: from requirements definition to verification campaigns, we seamlessly guide projects through every phase. Our capabilities span mechanical, electrical, and full stack software development.