The European Space Agency's (ESA) unmanned Intermediate
eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) space shuttle/spaceplane, part of its Programme for
Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator for Europe (PRIDE), was on display last week at
the Paris Air and Space Show. Showing
the wear of a February test (see above), the spaceplane represents ESA's answer
to the U.S. Air Force's
X37B unmanned space shuttle, though with more science and less intrigue.
Under PRIDE, ESA's is attempting to design a space vehicle
that can provide all of the following:
- Reusable
launchers stages (lower and upper),
- Robotic
exploration (for example, sample return from Mars or asteroid),
- Servicing
of orbital infrastructures (for example, International Space Station),
- Servicing
of future generation satellites (for example, in-orbit refuelling or disposal),
- Microgravity
experiments (for example, optimum time/cost ratio),
- Earth
sciences (for example, high-altitude atmospheric research), and
- Earth
observation (for example, crisis monitoring).
That is quite a list.
And, of course, these type of spaceplane and reusable rockets are the focus of multiple
projects around the world.
For instance, in addition to SpaceX's Falcon, earlier this month the European Airbus Defence and Space
unveiled the Advanced Expendable Launcher with Innovative engine Economy
(Adeline), though it will not be ready until 2025-2030. And Jeff Bezos' Blue
Origin is developing the reusable rocket New Shepard (shown below).
So the race is on and
future missions and governments funding those missions will be the
winners.
