photo: Thales Alenia Space Thales Alenia Space has completed development of the European Space Agency’s atmospheric reentry demonstrat...
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| photo: Thales Alenia Space |
Thales Alenia Space has completed development of the European Space Agency’s atmospheric reentry demonstrator- the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle(IXV), and is now completing integration at it's clean rooms in Turin, Italy.
The experimental re-entry vehicle is intended to validate European reusable launcher technology.
The 1800 kg IXV demonstrator features a lifting body design, maximizing maneuverability. It is fitted with a sophisticated guidance, navigation and control system that uses automated control surfaces during the atmospheric reentry phase., plus a heat shield to withstand the searing heat of reentry.
The IXV will separate from ESA's new Vega light launcher at an altitude of 320 kilometers, then continue its ascent to 412 kilometers. It will then begin its reentry, during which experimental data will be collected by the spacecraft's complete instrument suite. During atmospheric reentry, it will reach a speed of approximately 7.7 km/s at an altitude of 120 km, a typical profile for reentry from low Earth orbit.
The launch is scheduled for October 2014.
The mission will last approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. Following the parachute descent phase, it will culminate with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, where the spacecraft will be recovered by a specially equipped ship.
IXV will be delivered to ESA's ESTEC center in the Netherlands, where it will undergo final testing before being shipped to the launch site at the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
