Note: Only forum leaders may delete posts.
*HTML is ON *UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend
Smilies Legend
[b]Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV)[/b] In November 2014, ESA's [URL=http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Technology/SEMDPQ2PGQD_0.html]Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle[/URL] (IXV) will be launched into space. The suborbital spacecraft will then return to Earth to test a range of systems and technologies for atmospheric re-entry. The IXV objectives are the design, development, manufacturing, and on-ground and in-flight verification of an autonomous European lifting and aerodynamically controlled re-entry system. Among the critical technologies of interest, special attention is being paid to: advanced instrumentation for aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics; thermal protection and hot-structures solutions; guidance, navigation and flight control through a combination of jets and aerodynamic flaps. IXV will be launched in 2014 from Europe's spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, using the new Vega small launch vehicle. After re-entering the Earth's atmosphere and being slowed down by air drag, IXV will descend by parachute and land in the Pacific Ocean to await recovery and post-flight analysis.
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 1999-2024 collectSPACE. All rights reserved.