INVICTUS – Europe’s new hypersonic test platform
The European Space Agency (ESA) and UK-based Frazer-Nash have kicked off INVICTUS, a research programme with the goal of developing hypersonic technologies applicable to future reusable vehicles capable of horizontal launch.
INVICTUS is funded through ESA’s General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) and Technology Development Element (TDE) and is a fully reusable experimental aerospace vehicle capable of flying at Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).
The vehicle will demonstrate key technologies for sustained hypersonic flight in the atmosphere and will be upgradable, allowing for the exchange of materials, software and propulsion systems between flight test campaigns.
[Image description: A sleek, futuristic aircraft soars above a sea of fluffy clouds. The aircraft features two large engines mounted atop its wings and a distinctive vertical tail fin. The sky is bright, with sunlight casting dramatic shadows across the cloud tops.]
