IXV: learning to come back from Space

After being launched into space, the IXV - or Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle - will return to earth as if from a low-Earth orbit mission, testing brand-new European atmospheric re-entry technologies during its hypersonic and supersonic flight phases. For ESA, the mission is essential to further develop critical technologies for future robotic or manned spacecraft. In the name Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle, the word intermediate means that the vehicle builds on earlier achievements and performs the step that forms the bridge to future developments. The two-hour IXV mission is scheduled for launch in 2012 on board Vega, Europe's new, small launcher. ESApod video programme

You can listen to IXV: learning to come back from Space online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

IXV: learning to come back from Space is an episode from ESApod, audio and video from space by ESA Web Portal Staff.

This episode is 00:03:29 long.

This episode was published on Nov 5, 2008.

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