Spaceflight

An experimental re-entry vehicle concept to test critical reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technologies will be selected this month for the European Space Agency's Future Launcher Preparatory Programme (FLPP). Called the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle (IXV), it will form part of ESA's flight-testing strategy for FLPP.

A meeting at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands on 23 June will announce the selected concept, which is being analysed by the space agency. "This [IXV] will be the result of a trade-off between the several initiatives born in Europe in the last five years and a major step for the return to re-entry flight for Europe together," says Giorgio Tumino, head of X-vehicles within ESA's launchers directorate. ESA last performed a re-entry flight test in 1998 with its Atmospheric Re-entry Demonstrator vehicle.

The IXV will be the next step towards mastering lifting re-entry vehicle capabilities while validating advanced thermal protection systems.

ROB COPPINGER/NAPLES