The VIPER mission, part of the international REXUS/BEXUS program for suborbital sounding rockets, was successfully launched on March 12, 2026. The flight was nominal, the experiment's critical subsystems operated properly, and recovery proceeded as planned, allowing the collected data to be immediately secured. The experiment is the result of a design, development, and integration process conducted over the past year and a half as part of an international program supported by ESA, DLR, the Swedish Space Agency (SNSA), and European partners such as SSC Space, MORABA, and ZARM. The onboard experimental activities focused on both structural and navigation aspects. DIMA students, mostly from the Aerospace Engineering Area Council, participated in the experiment, under the guidance of Professor Giuliano Coppotelli. To our knowledge, the project represents a particularly significant achievement for our University, the Department, and the CAD, being among the first university groups in Italy, and the first in the capital, to have launched an experiment aboard the REXUS rocket. Confirming the scientific and educational value of the initiative, the team has also been selected as a speaker at the 27th ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programs and Related Research, where they will present the project's results in a high-profile international context.
