Congratulations ESA - Spaceplane test a success!!!

[SvenSvensonov]

Today the European Space Agency's test spaceplane went on a successful 100-minute unmanned ride along the equator from Kourou, French Guiana to the Pacific Ocean, just west of the Galapagos islands..

IXV was launched 340 km into space on top of a Vega rocket, flight VV04, had climbed to 412 km before began a long glide back through the atmosphere. During the flight, IXV tested the latest technologies and critical systems to help guide the design of future spaceplanes and reusable launchers.

We covered the event live based on ESA's live video and Twitter feed:

Update 1:

RT @esa_ixv: Countdown on hold, launch base red, we'll keep you posted. #IXV #VV04

Update 2:

#IXV RT @Arianespace: #Vega Flight #VV04 update: Go-ahead has been given for the resumption of the countdown

Update 3:

And the clock is ticking again.

Update 4:

And liftoff!

Update 5:

Separation of first and second stages has been confirmed.

Update 6:

Jettisoning of aerodynamic fairing #Vega #VV04 is now in space! #IXV

#Vega #VV04 Separation of third stage #IXV Altitude abt 193km

8:47 AM - 11 Feb 2

Update 8:

The fourth stage's engine is now firing to inject the Vega and its payload into a target orbit.

Update 9:

Separation - #IXV now in free flight. Well done, @arianespace !! #VV04 #vega

Update 10:

Mission control Turin now receiving status information from #IXV wingless spaceplane. Teams updating splashdown loc estimates

Update 11:

Shortly, Libreville station will lose radio contact, as expected, followed by Malindi station. Then, no news from #IXV until after reentry

Update 12:

According to ESA everything seems okay!

Update 13:

Watch the replay of Vega liftoff with IXV here

Update 14:

This is how the equatorial trajectory of the spaceplane looks like:

Update 15:

ESA reports: In 7 minutes, ESA's spaceplane will dive into Earth's atmosphere at circa 120km altitude moving at 27,000 km/hr. All systems looks okay, both in space and on the ground.

Update 16:

And we have a spaceplane again!

RECEIPT OF SIGNAL #AOS #NosAries recovery ship has established contact with #IXV after fiery reentry at 27,000km/hour

Update 17:

Opening of the main parachute is confirmed!

Update 18:

4min to splashown. Floatation panels jettisoned @esa_ixv

Update 19:

And splashdown! European Space Agency's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) is back on Earth, the 100 minutes long mission has been succesfully completed.

This fine time-lapse video below, shows IXV's preparation, fairing encapsulation, transfer to the Vega mobile gantry and upper composite integration on the Vega launcher.

From Experimental ESA Spaceplane's First Test Flight Was a Success (Updated)

 

[rockstar08]

Congratulations to ESA
Another milestone

 

[MohitV]

waiting for space nuclear propulsion

 

[Norwegian]

Congratulations to US
Another milestone , and US as always ahead of everyone ..

LOL. Its ESA not that bankrupt space agency NASA that took us to the moon hoax landings

 

[rockstar08]

European Space Agency (ESA).

Post edited , and this Happen when you have Statistics and Cost Accounting Classes in one day
damn it , they are melting my brain fast


and @SvenSvensonov I wanted to become a Astronaut when i was Kid

 

[gubbi]

European Space Agency (ESA).

Our space plane's been doing its thing for a few years now:

View attachment 192221

View attachment 192222

If I am not wrong, this particular ESA program is designed for unmanned space flights, no? They don't seem to be particularly enthusiastic about developing any manned space vehicles, independently.

Also, why is the X-37 a classified project?

 

[Norwegian]

I wanted to become a Astronaut when i was Kid

Pakistan's Space Agency is as good as dead

 

[rockstar08]

Pakistan's Space Agency is as good as dead

i was thinking about NASA

 

[gubbi]

That is correct, and hence why I compared the Intermediate eXperimental vehicle (the ESA's space-plane) to the US X-37b. Both are unmanned, reusable space vehicles with unknown mission profiles. However, the ESA has also desired to create a manned space-plane and cancelled a program called Hopper a few years ago. They still are looking to develop a manned system though.

Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And yes, with Europe's current economic issues, an independent program doesn't seem feasible. They would look to form a partnership with another nation. China has been mentioned (unlikely), the US too (also unlikely as the US competes with the ESA), as well as Japan (maybe).

I doubt that the ESA spaceplane's mission would be anything but 'unknown'. Considering that it is the European Union, they would hardly use their 'collaborative' space exploration efforts for anything, even remotely, military.

Also I have a theory about the X-37b. Fodder for conspiracy theorists (CT): <CT mode on "Me thinks that the program is a military endeavor for manned long haul space flights, in that, to test the human limits in hyper sleep or hibernation. The cargo bay of X-37b consists of a special chamber, like the ones on 'Nostromo' and whoever is flying that damn thing is putting a human in deep sleep and studying effects of long hibernation times on the human body!!" CT mode off>

 

[flamer84]

I doubt that the ESA spaceplane's mission would be anything but 'unknown'. Considering that it is the European Union, they would hardly use their 'collaborative' space exploration efforts for anything, even remotely, military.

Also I have a theory about the X-37b. Fodder for conspiracy theorists (CT): <CT mode on "Me thinks that the program is a military endeavor for manned long haul space flights, in that, to test the human limits in hyper sleep or hibernation. The cargo bay of X-37b consists of a special chamber, like the ones on 'Nostromo' and whoever is flying that damn thing is putting a human in deep sleep and studying effects of long hibernation times on the human body!!" CT mode off>

I gather you're not a reader of The Trumpet

 

[Aepsilons]

Congratulations ESA ! Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!

 

[gubbi]

I gather you're not a reader of The Trumpet

What the hell is that!!?

OMFG!! That is so funny! Now you just handed me hours of amusement and an excellent excuse for procrastination at work!!

 

[flamer84]

What the hell is that!!?

Oh,just a hilarious US site filled with evanghelists who claim that the EU is backed by the devil and wants to transform itself into an all evil empire and who will use ESA,Gallileo as tools for technological warfare to destroy the US and bring the Antichrist.

Sounds legit to me.