STS Tony - 22/7/2007 2:39 AMWho is funding this? ESA or EADS?
Andy L - 22/7/2007 11:03 AMWhat do ESA want to do with this lifting body?
Andy L - 22/7/2007 6:03 PMWhat do ESA want to do with this lifting body?
MKremer - 22/7/2007 6:14 PMThat's a good question - is ESA just wanting a LEO 'shuttle' for itself apart from NASA? If not, what do they hope to accomplish if their craft (like the U.S. Shuttle) is limited to LEO?
MKremer - 22/7/2007 10:10 PMAriane is a booster/launcher. Any kind of manned capsule/spaceplane is its payload.
CentEur - 22/7/2007 6:57 PMEuropean countries keep preparing (in slow motion) for Ariane 5 replacement, around 2020. Germans have already flown their Phoenix, Italians their USV (Castore). Now they all united with the French around IXV. All af them seem to be convinced the Ariane 5 replacement shall be reusable.
Space Lizard - 23/7/2007 9:41 AMQuoteCentEur - 22/7/2007 6:57 PMEuropean countries keep preparing (in slow motion) for Ariane 5 replacement, around 2020. Germans have already flown their Phoenix, Italians their USV (Castore). Now they all united with the French around IXV. All af them seem to be convinced the Ariane 5 replacement shall be reusable.Not really. ELV is still the baseline.However, Europe has developped know-how in reentry systems for the last 40 years and needs to keep some development rolling to maintain the capacity. RLV studies are a way to prepare for a future when these technologies will be needed. They may help too, on the day when Europe eventually decides to develop manned transportation systems.Phoenix/Hopper, USV and IXV (former Pre-X) are three different approaches and ESA is trying to put some rationale in it through FLPP. That's all.Ariane 6 will be expendable. No one seriously questions that beyond a few RLV nuts.
Whoops, forgot we already had a thread on this. I moderated myself Good to see this is still going. Bumped the L2 thread with the mass of documentation on this vehicle.