Microtech Gefell - 90 years of history and stories

Space technology from Gefell

2018 is an important year, and not only for the microphone manufacturers in Gefell.

The GDR citizen Sigmund Jähn was the first German to see Earth from space 40 years ago.

Measurement technology from Gefell also contributed to the success of the historic mission.

As part of the Soviet Interkosmos program, in August 1978 the GDR had the possibility to realize important experiments of basic research. This also concerned the field of acoustic measurements, more precisely the examination of the hearing sensitivity of the crew.

The "Audio" experiment on board the Salut 6 orbital station attempted to detect possible changes in hearing ability in the 250-8000 Hz frequency range caused by the weightlessness space flight factor.

Under the influence of the redistribution of blood and other liquid substances in the human body, the functional state of the hearing changes. Significant changes in volume sensations can occur, i.e. all sounds can be heard louder.

With the use of the precision impulse sound level meter 00024 of the company VEB RFT Measuring Electronics "Otto Schön" Dresden, equipped with the 1/2 inch measuring microphone preamplifier MV 202 and the measuring microphone capsule MK 202 of the company Georg Neumann Gefell, noise measurements could be carried out in the orbital station Salut 6 at different places of the crew members.

40 years later

Almost 40 years later, astronauts also like to use proven microphone technology from Gefell. For example, during the 15th Space Days in Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz.

The cosmonauts - Dr. Sigmund Jähn, Maxim Wiktorowitsch Surajew and astronauts - Dr. Alexander Gerst, Reinhold Ewald, Dr. Gerhard Thiele - used a special microphone Made in Gefell - the cardioid plane microphone KEM 975 - in their lectures, this time on Earth.