IXV

Ten years ago today, 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 vehicle to ...

ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle is ready for its launch and reentry mission on 11 February. The launch is scheduled for 13:00 GMT (14:00 CET) atop a Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Streaming starts at 12:45 GMT (13:45 CET)This IXV mission will test cutting-edge system and technology aspects to provide Europe with an independent reentry capability, and a building block for reusable space transportation systems. It will validate designs for lifting-bodies, incorporating both the simplicity of capsules and the performance of winged vehicles, with high controllability and manoeuvrability for precision landing.

The February flight of ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle is yielding invaluable insights and results for future reentry craft.

ESA’s recovered IXV spaceplane arrived at the Port of Livorno in Italy yesterday and is set to be taken to Turin for final analysis.