Spaceplane

Model of the spaceplane passenger cabin exhibited at the 2007 Paris Air Show

View into the interior of the model

The spaceplane is a concept for an airliner the Airbus Defense and Space for suborbital space flights with up to four passengers. The spaceplane should not only be used for space tourism , but also for research and for launching small satellites .

Until the dissolution of the Astrium division of EADS, the spaceplane was also known as the EADS Astrium Space Tourism Project .

Structure and technology

The concept describes a spaceplane that has two air-breathing jet engines and a rocket engine , which is derived from the Vulcain engine of the Ariane 5 . It would take off like an ordinary airplane. At a height of 12 km, the rocket engines would ignite. After a burning time of 80 s, the spaceplane would be at an altitude of 60 km. In the non-propulsion phase, the aircraft would climb to a summit height of over 100 km and thus cross the boundary to space . Weightlessness should prevail for about three to five minutes . The air-breathing engines would be used again for landing. The spaceplane should be able to take off and land at normal civil airports.

production

Production of five aircraft per year was announced. The components of the spaceplane were to be manufactured at various Airbus locations and final assembly was to take place in France.

Demonstrator

A 1: 4 scale demonstrator model was manufactured by Hope Technik from Singapore and exhibited at the Singapore Airshow in February 2014 . The first tests of the flight characteristics were carried out with this model from May 1st to May 4th, 2014. 100 kilometers off the coast of Singapore, the model was brought to an altitude of 3000 m by an AS 350 Écureuil helicopter and disengaged there. The model landed in the sea by remote control and was recovered as planned. Seven ships were used in these tests.

Web links

Commons : Spaceplane - collection of images, videos and audio files

Airbus Defense and Space: Spaceplane: Vertical takeoff into the future ( Memento from August 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Airbus Defense and Space: Space Plane: Vertical takeoff into the future. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .
↑ Airbus Defense and Space: What is the spaceplane used for? May 24, 2010, archived from the original on December 29, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .
↑ ^a ^b Airbus Defense and Space: Spaceplane: The long way to the stars. May 24, 2010, archived from the original on December 29, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .
^ Rob Coppinger: European Commercial Space Plane Prototype Set for May Drop Test. space.com, March 4, 2014, accessed October 14, 2014 .
↑ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt - Lilienthal-Oberth: SpacePlane demonstrator from Airbus Defense and Space successfully tested over the South China Sea. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .

[senkrechtstart-1] Airbus Defense and Space: Space Plane: Vertical takeoff into the future. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .

[2] Airbus Defense and Space: What is the spaceplane used for? May 24, 2010, archived from the original on December 29, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .

[derlangeweg-3] Airbus Defense and Space: Spaceplane: The long way to the stars. May 24, 2010, archived from the original on December 29, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .

[4] Rob Coppinger: European Commercial Space Plane Prototype Set for May Drop Test. space.com, March 4, 2014, accessed October 14, 2014 .

[5] Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt - Lilienthal-Oberth: SpacePlane demonstrator from Airbus Defense and Space successfully tested over the South China Sea. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .