FLUG REVUE first flight gallery: DLR/EADS Pheonix

First Flight Gallery: DLR/EADS Phoenix

Read the original first flight press release:

Flight of the Phoenix was successful

Automatic landing without any problems; Milestone in the development of future unmanned space vehicles; Germany demonstrates industrial and research competence

May 6th, 2004 -- Vidsel/Sweden - The first fully automatic flight of PHOENIX was a real success. The prototype of a future reusable space vehicle touched down safely on the runway of the test airport of Vidsel in northern Sweden. "This flight shows clearly that we are able to technically master the automatic landing of an unmanned reusable space vehicle," says Dr. Peter Kyr, PHOENIX project manager at EADS SPACE Transportation. A heavy-duty helicopter towed PHOENIX to an altitude of 2,400 metres and released it at an airspeed of 144 km/h. After a free flight phase, during which a top speed of almost 450 km/h was reached, PHOENIX made a perfect spot landing on the runway. PHOENIX corrected track deviations autonomously and precisely during the flight phase and on the ground.

"This successful test flight is a decisive German contribution to the development of a future reusable space vehicle," says Josef Kind, President of EADS SPACE Transportation, in Bremen. "We have demonstrated our competence in the field of space transport systems and are really proud of it. It will be important to take advantage of this success and to build on it in the future. I have every trust in the Federal Government which has always supported this future technology at national level and within the framework of ESA," continues Mr. Kind.

The objective of the PHOENIX flight testing is to find out how the vehicle behaves during a steep landing approach and subsequent automatic touchdown. Three more test flights are planned for the next days, followed by detailed data analysis. Peter Kyr: "Based on the information gained, we Phoenix on helicopter

will further optimise the system and prepare test flights from higher altitudes." These test flights could include jettisoning from so-called stratosphere balloons or supersonic jet aircraft at altitudes of up to 25 kilometres. Furthermore it will be essential to provide PHOENIX with a propulsion system of its own in the medium term.

EADS SPACE Transportation is responsible for project management as well as for the entire software equipment of the system, in which Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR, Braunschweig, is involved. Other partners are Aljo (construction and manufacture of the aluminium airframe), Heggemann Aerospace (landing gear), Wittenstein (actuators/flaps) and OHB-System (flight test instrumentation). Also involved is DLR Moraba with the development of telemetry and data transfer systems and by supplying the parachute recovery system.

PHOENIX is an integral part of the national programme ASTRA (Ausgewählte Systeme und Technologien für zukünftige Raumtransport-Anwendungen). ASTRA is funded to the tune of 40 million euros by the Federal Government, the State of Bremen and EADS SPACE Transportation, contributing one third each to that amount. EADS SPACE Transportation has already invested € 8.2 million out of own funds in the PHOENIX project, in which the state of Bremen is also financially involved with an amount of 4.3 million euros. Partner companies such as Bremen-based OHB, DLR and the Federal Ministry for Education and Research are also contributing to the 16 million euros required for the project.

EADS SPACE Transportation is the European lead company for civil and military space transportation and manned spaceflight. EADS SPACE Transportation is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE. In 2003, EADS SPACE achieved a turnover of EUR 2.4 billion with a labour force of 12,000 in France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

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Last updated 27 May 2004

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