Experiment Preparation and Operation of the Electromagnetic Levitator EML on the ISS

Abstract

EML is an electromagnetic levitation facility of the European Space Agency (ESA) for the ISS aiming at processing liquid metals or semiconductors under microgravity conditions. It allows to measure thermophysical properties in the liquid state and to investigate solidification phenomena. Before the on orbit processing the experiments are extensively prepared on ground in a ground support program at DLR Cologne. consisting of There the sample characterization, experiment planning, parameter development and finally experiment validation with the EML ground model. are performed. Then the experiment parameters are uploaded to the facility and the experiments are performed on orbit. After processing the scientific data are provided to the involved scientists for analysis and are archived at the DLR Microgravity User Support Center in a long term data archive. The presentation will focus on the on-orbit operations of the first three batches and the necessary preparation steps on ground to run experiments in the EML as well as potential future diagnostic upgrades of EML.