Phoenix performs first glide test
Posted: Sun, May 9, 2004, 5:24 PM ET (2124 GMT)
Phoenix, the subscale prototype of a proposed European RLV, successfully completed its first glide test Saturday. The six-meter-long Phoenix was dropped from a helicopter at an altitude of 2,400 meters above the Kiruna test range in northern Sweden. The unpowered vehicle glided to an autonomous landing 90 seconds later, reaching speeds of up to 450 kmph during its descent. Future drop tests are planned, including drops from balloons from altitudes above 100 km. Phoenix,built by EADS, is a smaller version of a proposed RLV called Hopper that could enter service in 2015-2020, provided enough funding is available. To date about €8.2 million (US$9.7 million) has been spent on Phoenix, with most of the money coming from the German Aerospace Center and the government of the German city-state of Bremen.
Phoenix, the subscale prototype of a proposed European RLV, successfully completed its first glide test Saturday. The six-meter-long Phoenix was dropped from a helicopter at an altitude of 2,400 meters above the Kiruna test range in northern Sweden. The unpowered vehicle glided to an autonomous landing 90 seconds later, reaching speeds of up to 450 kmph during its descent. Future drop tests are planned, including drops from balloons from altitudes above 100 km. Phoenix,built by EADS, is a smaller version of a proposed RLV called Hopper that could enter service in 2015-2020, provided enough funding is available. To date about €8.2 million (US$9.7 million) has been spent on Phoenix, with most of the money coming from the German Aerospace Center and the government of the German city-state of Bremen.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Senate committee advances Isaacman nomination to lead NASA
Posted: Sun, May 4 10:23 AM ET (1423 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, May 8
Industry Leader and Longtime Hughes CEO Pradman Kaul Dies
ViaSatellite — 6:50 am ET (1050 GMT) Elon Musk's Starlink gets govt nod in India for satcom service: What it means for users, pricing and more
Business Today — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) Elon Musk's internet company Starlink gets India approval: What does this mean? What services will you get? Explained
livemint — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) Elon Musk’s Starlink gets Indian regulatory go-ahead for satcom services
The Economic Times (India) — 6:45 am ET (1045 GMT) These students built a rocket, a satellite — and a national reputation
CSU Long Beach — 6:43 am ET (1043 GMT) |
