IXV during integration

IXV during integration at Thales Alenia Space.

On 11 February 2015 the European Space Agency launched IXV, the ‘Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle’. The spacecraft proved Europe had all the technology and know-how to send a re-usable spacecraft to space – and back.

In 100 minutes IXV was launched on a Vega rocket, flew 400 km up, travelled half-way across our planet, surfed the atmosphere and gently splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.