Article Posted on : - Jun 22, 2011

IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle. Photo: ESA

PARIS (BNS): European Space Agency (ESA) and Thales Alenia Space Italia have announced to develop IXV Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle for their mission into space in 2013.

The companies made the announcement to sign an agreement for their project at the ongoing Paris Air Show in France.

Europe’s ambition for a spacecraft to return autonomously from low orbit is a cornerstone for a wide range of space applications, including space transportation, exploration and robotic servicing of space infrastructure.

This goal will be achieved with IXV, which is the next step from the Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator flight of 1998. IXV is the ‘intermediate’ element of Europe’s path to future developments with limited risks.

According to ESA, the IXV was launched on suborbital trajectory on a small Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, IXV will return to Earth as if from a low-orbit mission, to test and qualify new European critical reentry technologies such as advanced ceramic and ablative thermal protection.

The 2 t lifting body will attain an altitude of around 450 km, allowing it to reach a velocity of 7.5 km/s on entering the atmosphere. It will collect a large amount of data during its hypersonic and supersonic flight, while it is being controlled by thrusters and aerodynamic flaps.

The craft will then descend by parachute and land in the Pacific Ocean to await recovery and analysis.

With the signing of new agreement the companies will begin the vehicle’s manufacturing, assembly, integration and qualification. Procurement of the ground network will also begin, including the mission control centre, ground station telemetry kits, transportable antennas and communication network.

“Today’s agreement confirms that ESA and industry are committed to keep up with the challenging schedule and be ready for flight in 2013,” Antonio Fabrizi, ESA Director of Launchers, said.

Both companies will sign the formal approval of the contract by the end of June from ESA’s Industrial Policy Committee.