Indonesian UGM Team Selected for UN Microgravity Research Program<\/p>\n
Reporter<\/p>\n
September 15, 2026 | 01:09 am<\/p>\n
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A team from Indonesia\u2019s Universitas Gadjah Mada\n(UGM) has been selected to conduct a microgravity experiment in Germany\nunder the 10th round of the Fellowship Programme for Drop Tower\nExperiment Series (DropTES).<\/p>\n
The team will study how partially wet silica sand moves and\nredistributes under controlled shaking in microgravity. The research\ncould provide data relevant to future space missions, including the\ndevelopment of robotic excavation systems, sample-handling mechanisms,\nand technologies for transporting materials on the Moon and beyond.<\/p>\n
The DropTES programme is jointly run by the United Nations Office for\nOuter Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Center of Applied Space Technology\nand Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen, with support from\nthe German Aerospace Center (DLR).<\/p>\n
As part of the fellowship, the UGM team will travel to Germany to\nconduct its experiment using ZARM\u2019s Bremen Drop Tower and GraviTower\nBremen Pro, facilities that provide ground-based access to microgravity\nconditions.<\/p>\n
The experiment focuses on the behavior of wet granular materials,\nwhich could be relevant to understanding how soil-like materials behave\nin low-gravity environments. Such data could help researchers develop\ntechnologies for handling and moving lunar or Martian soil during future\nexploration missions.<\/p>\n
UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini said the programme aims to give\nresearchers from countries with emerging space capabilities greater\naccess to space research facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cScientific talent is everywhere, but access to opportunities is not.\nProgrammes like DropTES help close that gap, giving teams from countries\nwith emerging space capabilities the chance to turn their ideas into\nreal experiments,\u201d Holla-Maini said.<\/p>\n
She welcomed the selection of the Indonesian team and thanked ZARM\nand DLR for their continued partnership in expanding access to space\nresearch.<\/p>\n
ZARM Director Marc Avila congratulated the UGM team and said its\nproject addresses challenges related to future space exploration.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir project addresses an important challenge for future space\nexploration by investigating how moist granular materials similar to\nlunar and Martian soil behave under microgravity conditions,\u201d Avila\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Through DropTES, students will have the opportunity to design, build,\nand test their experiment at the Bremen Drop Tower, a facility normally\nused by professional researchers and engineers.<\/p>\n
The programme is part of UNOOSA\u2019s Access to Space for All initiative,\nwhich seeks to expand access to space research infrastructure and\nstrengthen scientific and technical capabilities in countries with\nemerging space programmes.<\/p>\n
Launched in 2014, DropTES has supported nine experiments by teams\nfrom Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Romania, and\nVenezuela. The latest awardee before UGM was Universidad Central de\nVenezuela, whose team studied the effects of microgravity on the welding\nof aluminum alloys.<\/p>\n
UGM Director of Student Affairs Hempri Suyatna said the programme\nwould give Indonesian students an opportunity to gain hands-on research\nexperience in microgravity and space exploration.<\/p>\n
He said the university hoped the experience would encourage students\nto pursue innovative research and contribute to the development of space\nscience and technology in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Read: Loud Boom, Bright Flashes Startle Indonesia\u2019s Gorontalo: What\nWas It?<\/p>\n
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