projet de l'avion spatial ESA

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• Publié par: Le_Parisien
• Publié le: 09 septembre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 1 458
• Langue: English

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ixv

→ IntErmEdIatE  EXpErImEntal vEhIclE

ixv

EUROPe’S àMbiTiON FOR à SPàCeCRàFT TO ReTURN àUTONOMOUSLy FROM LOw ORbiT iS à CORNeRSTONe FOR à wiDe RàNGe OF SPàCe àPPLiCàTiONS, iNCLUDiNG SPàCe TRàNSPORTàTiON, RObOTiC SeRViCiNG OF SPàCe iNFRàSTRUCTURe àND exPLORàTiON.

tHe iDeà TO àCHieVe THiS GOàL THROUGH THe INTeRMeDiàTe eXPeRiMeNTàL veHiCLe (IXv) DàTeS bàCk TO 2002, wHeN àN Esa STUDy HàRMONiSeD SeVeRàL aGeNCy àND NàTiONàL PROPOSàLS ON exPeRiMeNTàL VeHiCLeS.

IXv, STRONGLy SUPPORTeD by THe ITàLiàN SPàCe àGeNCy, asI, iS àN Esa PROGRàMMe wiTH THe PàRTiCiPàTiON OF SeVeN meMbeR sTàTeS.

IXV is the next step forward from the successful Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator flight of 1998, in terms of manoeuvrability, operability and precision landing. IXV is the ‘intermediate’ element of Europe’s path to future developments with limited risks.

For some years, the development of critical reentry technologies through basic research and preparatory programmes has been pursued, paving the way for the flight of an experimental craft.

The IXV objectives are the design, development, manufacture and flight verification of an autonomous European lifting and aerodynamically controlled reentry vehicle that is highly flexible and manoeuvrable.

miSSiON ReqUiReMeNTS ●a return mission with a lifting vehicle, Perform controlled by thrusters and aerodynamic surfaces; ● Qualify in flight the critical reentry technologies with a return from low orbit; ● Land at sea for inspection and analysis; ●ESA’s new Vega launcher to fly the mission Use at an affordable cost.

thE mIssIon Launched into a suborbital path, IXV will return to Earth as if from a low-orbit mission, testing new European atmospheric reentry technologies.

• IXV will be launched on ESA’s new small Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. • IXV 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 phases, while it is being controlled by thrusters and aerodynamic flaps. • The vehicle will descend by parachute and land in the Pacific Ocean to await recovery and analysis.

dEsIgn fEaturEs IXV is a lifting body. It is about 5 m long, 2.2 m wide, 1.5 m high and weighs nearly 2 t. Its hypersonic lift-to-drag ratio of 0.7 guarantees the required aerodynamic performance.

The outer surface consists of advanced ceramic and ablative thermal protection materials that can withstand the severe reentry environment and protect the structural integrity.

Aeroshell Panel Assembly

The inner elements are built around carbon-fibre reinforced polymer structural panels, which provide the strength and stiffness to resist the extreme forces experienced during launch and landing. Compartments house the avionic components for power, data handling and telemetry, the parachute and floatation devices, and the controlling devices for the flaps and thrusters.

Nose Assembly

Lateral Assembly

Windward Assembly

dEvElopmEnt Following development of critical technologies and completion of the design, the vehicle’s manufacture, assembly, integration and qualification is under way, for flight in 2014.

Qualification of the ground network has also begun, including the mission control centre, ground station telemetry kits, transportable antennas and communication network.

The total cost at completion for the IXV mission is estimated to be around €150 million.

Leeward Assembly

Lateral Assembly

Flap Assembly

Base Assembly

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IndustrIal organIsatIon Building Europe’s technology expertise for future spac transportation is an objective of IXV, which explains th number of organisations involved in its development.

Thales Alenia Space Italia, the prime contractor, is supp by about 40 European partners, including the major Eu industries, research institutes and universities – mainl Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Portugal, with selected support from Germany, Swede the Netherlands.

IXV mission overview

EvolutIon The evolution of IXV is now being considered within the ESA Pride (Programme for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator for Europe), focusing on an affordable reusable craft for operating and servicing payloads in orbit, before returning to touch down on a conventional runway.

Preliminary studies show the possibility of an affordable vehicle capable of operating in a wide range of orbital inclinations, with limited technological risk based on the knowledge gained from IXV.

For more information: [e-mail] www.esa.int An ESA Communication Production Copyright © 2013 European Space Agency