Phoenix (space glider)

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Model of Phoenix

Phoenix was an approximately seven meter long and 1200 kg heavy, airworthy test model of the European unmanned suborbital space glider Hopper , which was planned as a reusable and inexpensive alternative to single-use launch vehicles and should replace the Ariane 5 rocket after 2020.

After various wind tunnel tests and taxiing tests, in which the braking and control systems were tested, a flight test campaign was successfully carried out in May 2004 at Vidsel airfield in northern Sweden ( ⊙ ). The model was brought to an altitude of approx. 2400 m by a Boeing-Vertol CH-46 helicopter and released at a flight speed of approx. 80 knots (corresponding to approx. 40 m / s), whereupon it landed fully automatically after a 90-second controlled gliding flight . This maneuver was used to test the automatic landing and flight characteristics.

A total of three test flights were carried out:

  • Test flight 1 : Saturday, May 8, 2004
    • nominal flight scenario, d. H. Drop on runway axis
    • optimal weather conditions (almost cloudless, weak tail wind, little turbulence)
    • almost perfect first flight
  • Test flight 2 : Thursday, May 13, 2004
    • nominal flight scenario (repetition of the first test flight)
    • good weather conditions (cloudless, weak to moderate headwind, little turbulence)
    • perfect repetition of the first flight
  • Test flight 3 : Sunday, May 16, 2004
    • Extended flight scenario: the plan was to drop it parallel to the runway axis with a lateral offset of 100 m. In fact, the drop was carried out with a lateral offset of 126 m and an orientation of the longitudinal axis of the demonstrator that deviated 4.8 ° outwards from the runway axis. As a result, a maximum lateral offset of 245 m was achieved.
    • Acceptable weather conditions (initially cloudless with increasing cloud formation, moderate headwind, moderate turbulence)
    • successful landing

By the beginning of 2004, 8.2 million euros had been invested in the project. The state of Bremen contributed 4.3 million euros. A total of 16 million euros was earmarked.

See also

literature

  • Wilhelm Gockel, Peter Kyr, Rolf Janovsky, Axel Roenneke: REUSABLE RLV DEMONSTRATOR VEHICLES - PHOENIX FLIGHT TEST RESULTS AND PERSPECTIVES . In: Proceedings of the 55th International Astronautical Congress 2004 . 2004, doi : 10.2514 / 6.IAC-04-V.6.04 (English).

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