Vega to fly ESA experimental reentry vehicle

[Felix]

"The IXV System Requirement Review was successfully completed. Wind tunnel test campaign started and has already shown promising results on the stability of the IXV in transonic phase."

http://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bulletin135/bul135_pip.pdf (page 64)

[Vacuum.Head]

Well it may all be doom and gloom as Europe mulls human launch system...

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=8659.msg323798#msg323798
but at least we have new CGI rocket programs:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/de8iP6mH2GU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/de8iP6mH2GU&rel=1</a>

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/081015-tw-future-launcher.html#comments

Some (well one or two) of the comments are worth reading notably [MartianSam's] "biconic" reference required for a Mars re-entry vehicle.
Hmmm.
So here's hoping the economic situation improves by 2012!
Perhaps our Glorious Leader (Gordon Brown) will have coughed up some cash for human spaceflight by then. ROFLMAO
[Edit to credit MartianSam]

[quickshot89]

thats a pretty good video

looks alot like the kipler though

or is it a hermes mrk 2 test?

[nacnud]

More like a tech demonstrator, it shouldn't be seen as a scaled down form of an operational system. In the same was ARD wasn't a scaled down crew capsule.

There may be hope for UK manned spaceflight, the Sci and Enviro minister thinks it is a good idea, Link. So there is someone in government taking our side.

[bolun]

Signed agreement for development of IXV

ESA and Thales Alenia Space have established the agreement for the authorisation to proceed with the development of the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) atmospheric reentry demonstrator.

The delivery of the vehicle to ESA is planned to take place by the end of 2012.


http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM52E3XTVF_index_0.html

[bolun]

Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) update:

On 4 February in Turin, Italy, Thales Alenia Space Italy and its main industrial partners presented to ESA the new Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) design baseline, a key milestone in the start of the full development phase of the IXV, due to make its first flight three years from now.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/SEMJXL7CS5G_0.html

[bolun]

New milestone in IXV development
 
15 September 2010

Today, ESA held the first IXV Industrial Workshop. Thales Alenia Space and its main industrial partners presented the detailed design of ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/SEMOU1KOXDG_0.html

[bolun]

ESA reentry vehicle on track for flight in 2013
 
21 June 2011

ESA and Thales Alenia Space Italia announced an agreement today at the Paris Air Show to begin building the IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle for its mission into space in 2013.

Europe’s ambition for a spacecraft to return autonomously from low orbit is a cornerstone for a wide range of space applications, including space transportation, exploration and robotic servicing of space infrastructure.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMNE11T1PG_index_0.html

[Chris Bergin]

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.

[Skylab]

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.

Damn, and I'd already posted it in the live Le Bourget section! 

[bolun]

IXV´s brochure.

http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/publications/ixv/pageflip.html

PDF version.

[jacqmans]

Vega to fly ESA experimental reentry vehicle


16 December 2011
The launch of ESA’s IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle on Europe’s new Vega rocket is now in detailed planning, a major step towards the craft’s flight in 2014.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWQM8XZVG_index_1.html

[yg1968]

Here is another video:
http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?idf=SEMXWHRTKMF&b=b&single=y&size=b

[belegor]

Curtiss-Wright Controls Awarded Contract By Alenia Aermacchi:
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Curtiss_Wright_Controls_Awarded_Contract_By_Alenia_Aermacchi_999.html

[belegor]

Two interesting articles:

Europe Eyes Funding for Miniature Robotic Space Plane
and
ESA's IXV reentry vehicle prepares for soft landing

Can anyone say anything about the purpose of the prototype being shown in the last picture of the first article? Is it the prototype mentioned in the second article, used for the testing of the descent and landing system?