BBC: High-speed 'wedge' for re-entry (ESA IXV)
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DIH
Jun 21, 2011, 11:58:06 PM6/21/11
to Britain In Space
A contract has been signed at the Paris air show that will lead to the
development of a remarkable spacecraft to test re-entry technologies.
Thales Alenia Space in Italy has been given the authorisation to build
the wedge-shaped Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV).
The European Space Agency (Esa) demonstrator will be launched in 2012.
It will be packed with sensors and should give engineers new insights
into how objects fall back to Earth.
The lessons could prove extremely valuable if Europe decides to press
ahead with its own astronaut transportation system. A controlled, safe
re-entry capability is a pre-requisite for such a system, but it has
relevance to all high-velocity atmospheric vehicles including
rockets.
To read the rest of this Article: http://bbc.in/mhjAOR
development of a remarkable spacecraft to test re-entry technologies.
Thales Alenia Space in Italy has been given the authorisation to build
the wedge-shaped Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV).
The European Space Agency (Esa) demonstrator will be launched in 2012.
It will be packed with sensors and should give engineers new insights
into how objects fall back to Earth.
The lessons could prove extremely valuable if Europe decides to press
ahead with its own astronaut transportation system. A controlled, safe
re-entry capability is a pre-requisite for such a system, but it has
relevance to all high-velocity atmospheric vehicles including
rockets.
To read the rest of this Article: http://bbc.in/mhjAOR
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