#spaceplane — Public Fediverse posts

#Dassault 🇫🇷 and #OHB 🇩🇪 announced that they will jointly propose the #VORTEX reusable #spaceplane to #ESA. Dassault selected #ArkadiaSpace to develop the propulsion system https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/dassault-ohb-vortex-s-spaceplane-esa-bid

Stupid simple little sketch from better years, but why not? I like it anyway. From yours truly: "Two generations of spaceplanes".

#art #sketch #aircraft #liftingbody #spaceplane #spacecraft #digitalart

After a moon landing, a lunar cycler space station, which, surprisingly, means lifting bodies just might have their day in the sun...

Read more at my #blog: https://www.adamasnemesis.com/2026/04/26/after-wings-of-fire-a-lifting-body-world/

This post's featured image is of various experimental lifting-body craft from the 1960s.

#worldbuilding #alternatehistory #space #technology #spaceflight #spacecraft #liftingbody #spaceplane #history

RE: https://mastodon.social/@europeanspaceflight/115971936362943492

#POLARIS Spaceplanes announced that it had been awarded a contract by the Federal Office of #Bundeswehr Equipment. The first test of its full-sized #spaceplane was planned for 2028 (as of 2024)

#ZDF:
"
Start-up baut Raumflugzeug für die Bundeswehr
"
"Eine Bremer Firma entwickelt ein Hyperschall-Raumflugzeug für die Bundeswehr. Die will im Weltall "kriegstüchtig" werden – und investiert 35 Milliarden Euro in Raumfahrtprojekte."

https://www.zdfheute.de/wirtschaft/ruestung-bundeswehr-raumflugzeug-start-up-bremen-100.html

3.2.2026

#Bundeswehr #BW #PolarisRaumflugzeuge #Raumfahrt #Raumflugzeug #SpaceFlight #spaceplane

A less realistic, but maximally fun SSTO.

These tilt-engines are way more powerful and efficient than what I usually use in KSP, to the point where they probably are unrealistic af. That’s why I didn’t even bother with the TWR or dV this time. But having one part that can do a tilt engine is SO nice. If you want it to be a bit more realistic, I guess you can lower the thrust limiter. 

Its very power hungry, but it comes with an internal nuclear reactor which has a heatsink slapped on to it. This way it can run for quite a long time before running out of juice. Some capacitors also help extending that time. The cargo bay doors can also act as radiators if opened.

The COM is very carefully balanced so this thing is stable both in horizontal and vertical flight, the RCS is centred and the docking port aligns with it reasonably well. (you can dock it to the front of a mothership and it won’t make it spin out of control. If you want to use the engines to propel the other ship though, you might spin)

#spaceart #digitalart #muellermeier #krita #KSP #blueprint #SSTO #spaceplane #VTOL #Kerbal

Sierra said it is now targeting a "late 2026" debut for #DreamChaser https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/sierras-dream-chaser-is-starting-to-resemble-a-nightmare

#SierraNevada #NASA #spaceplane

Mysterious #X-37B #spaceplane flies again, this time carrying a #quantum #GPS alternative

https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/25/x37b_quantum_navigation_payload/

#US #military’s #X37B #spaceplane stays relevant with launch of another mission
Now, on Mission 8, the #spaceplane heads back to low-Earth orbit hosting quantum navigation and laser communications experiments. Few people, if any, envisioned these kinds of missions flying on the X-37B when it first soared to space 15 years ago. At that time, quantum sensing was confined to the lab, and the first laser communication demonstrations in space were barely underway.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/spacex-boeing-team-up-for-another-flight-of-the-militarys-x-37b-spaceplane/ #SpaceForce

#ukdj:
"
.. X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is preparing for its 8th mission, with launch scheduled NET August 21 from Florida ..
"

".. carry a service module designed to expand experiment capacity. mKey demo .. incl. a high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications system and what Boeing describes as the highest-performing quantum inertial sensor ever tested in space."

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/secret-u-s-spaceplane-to-fly-again/

2.8.2025

#Boeing #OTV #OTV8 #Raumfahrt #Raumfähre #SpaceFlight #SpaceForce #SpacePlane #USA #X37B

🇫🇷 Dassault's #VORTEX #spaceplane demonstrator expected to be launched in 📆 2027 https://europeanspaceflight.com/dassault-ceo-pushing-for-vortex-to-be-adopted-as-an-esa-project

#France #ESA

🇪🇺 #ESA #spaceplane : "Over the next 12 months, the #INVICTUS consortium will deliver the preliminary design of the full flight system" https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Shaping_the_Future/INVICTUS_Europe_s_new_hypersonic_test_platform

Some good aerospace news for you. I don't know the theoretical impact a hypersonic space plane would have, but it sounds very cool.

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/europe-working-to-launch-invictus-hypersonic-space-plane-by-2031-video

#Space #ESA #Astronautics #Aeronautics #SpacePlane #SpaceFlight

@angry_astro 🇬🇧 👩‍🚀 🇺🇸

"Britain, France announce new orbital spaceplanes! Big win for Spaceport Cornwall!"

7/17/2025 🗞️ #Spaceflight #SpacePlane

https://youtu.be/nu3aUaU6TLY?feature=shared

Ich sprach über Projekte des @DLR, besuchte einen #Spaceplane-Demonstrator von #POLARIS, lernte etwas über #Rührreibschweißen und Kommunikation im All, bekam ein Update zum Satelliten #VIBES Pioneer, informierte mich über #Shaker und erfuhr mehr über Projekte der studentischen Raumfahrt.

2/2

Ich sprach über Projekte des @DLR, besuchte einen #Spaceplane-Demonstrator von #POLARIS, lernte etwas über #Rührreibschweißen und Kommunikation im All, bekam ein Update zum Satelliten #VIBES Pioneer, informierte mich über #Shaker und erfuhr mehr über Projekte der studentischen Raumfahrt.

2/2

Ich sprach über Projekte des @DLR, besuchte einen #Spaceplane-Demonstrator von #POLARIS, lernte etwas über #Rührreibschweißen und Kommunikation im All, bekam ein Update zum Satelliten #VIBES Pioneer, informierte mich über #Shaker und erfuhr mehr über Projekte der studentischen Raumfahrt.

2/2

Ich sprach über Projekte des @DLR, besuchte einen #Spaceplane-Demonstrator von #POLARIS, lernte etwas über #Rührreibschweißen und Kommunikation im All, bekam ein Update zum Satelliten #VIBES Pioneer, informierte mich über #Shaker und erfuhr mehr über Projekte der studentischen Raumfahrt.

2/2

Ich sprach über Projekte des @DLR, besuchte einen #Spaceplane-Demonstrator von #POLARIS, lernte etwas über #Rührreibschweißen und Kommunikation im All, bekam ein Update zum Satelliten #VIBES Pioneer, informierte mich über #Shaker und erfuhr mehr über Projekte der studentischen Raumfahrt.

2/2

#DassaultAviation:
"
Support from the Ministry of the French Armed Forces for the development of Dassault Aviation’s VORTEX spaceplane demonstrator
"
https://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/group/press/press-kits/support-from-the-ministry-of-the-french-armed-forces-for-the-development-of-dassault-aviations-vortex-spaceplane-demonstrator/

20.6.2025

#Frankreich #Raumfahrt #Raumfähre #SpaceFlight #SpacePlane #VORTEX

a very #British epitaph for any technology: "We failed because we ran out of money."

"Reaction Engines hoped one day its tech would power a reusable space plane"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y5zg85wnlo

"Rolls-Royce said it had other priorities and the UK military has very little money."

#technology #space #SpaceFlight #HOTOL #Skylon #ReactionEngines #UK #history #SpacePlane

More KSP stuff. A heavy lifter SSTO that is designed to deliver large payloads into orbit. In theory it is fully IVA traversable, but some of the OPT parts don’t support freeIVA.

#space #spaceart #digitalart #muellermeier #SSTO #KSP #Kerbal #blueprint #spaceplane #krita

"..Orbital Test Vehicle concludes seventh successful mission
"
"..X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7) .. successfully deorbited and landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, March 7, 2025 at 02:22 a.m. EST."

".. the first launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket to a Highly Elliptical Orbit."

"The seventh mission remained on-orbit for over 434 days."

https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4112259/x-37b-orbital-test-vehicle-concludes-seventh-successful-mission/

7.3.2025

#Boeing #OTV #Raumfahrt #Raumgleiter #SpaceFlight #SpaceForce #SpacePlane #USA #Vandenberg #X37B

#X37B #Spaceplane Shares #Earth Image For First Time As New Mission Details Emerge
The photo was captured during the ongoing seventh mission for the shadowy X-37B mini-shuttle, which has seen it enter into higher orbits. https://www.twz.com/space/x-37b-spaceplane-shares-earth-image-for-first-time-as-new-mission-details-emerge #space

Secretive Space Plane Beams Back Photo Taken High Above Earth https://petapixel.com/2025/02/24/secretive-space-plane-beams-back-photo-taken-high-above-earth/ #highlyellipticalorbit #usspaceforce #planetearth #spaceforce #spaceplane #highorbit #Space #orbit #x37b

📆 2025 preview :

• #Moon 🌙 deliveries by #Astrobotic, #IntuitiveMachines and #Firefly Aerospace.
• #SPHEREx will create a map of the universe 🌌
• #ESA's 🇪🇺 #SpaceRider #spaceplane orbital test flight
• #Japan's 🇯🇵 lunar lander and micro-rover
• #Tianwen2 🇨🇳 collects samples from a #NEA ☄️
• #BepiColombo at #Mercury
• #EuropaClipper at #Mars
• #NASA’s #Lucy #asteroid flyby
• #JUICE at #Venus
https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/space-missions-coming-in-2025

• #SierraSpace #DreamChaser test mission to the #ISS https://www.planetary.org/articles/calendar-of-space-events-2025

Runway-to-Space No More, Reaction Engines Cease Trading https://hackaday.com/2024/12/04/runway-to-space-no-more-reaction-engines-cease-trading/ #ReactionEngines #spaceplane #sabre #News

Runway-to-Space No More, Reaction Engines Cease Trading - It’s not often that the passing of a medium sized company on an industrial estate ... - https://hackaday.com/2024/12/04/runway-to-space-no-more-reaction-engines-cease-trading/ #reactionengines #spaceplane #sabre #news

The Secretive Spaceplane of the U.S. Space Force Conducts First-of-Its-Kind Maneuvers

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-secretive-spaceplane-of-the-us-space-force-conducts-first-of-its-kind-maneuvers-180985425/

#technology #tech #space #spaceexploration #spacetech #spaceplane #usspaceforce #spaceforce

Secretive #X37B #Spaceplane To Use Aerobraking Maneuvers To Rapidly Change Orbit
Details showcase high maneuverability and underscore long-standing questions about its capabilities. #US #SpaceForce, to which -37Bs are assigned, announced planned orbital maneuvers as part of Orbital Test Vehicle 7 (#OTV7). “Use of the aerobraking maneuver – a series of passes using the drag of Earth’s atmosphere – enables the spacecraft to change orbits while expending minimal fuel.”
https://www.twz.com/space/secretive-x-37b-spaceplane-to-use-aerobraking-maneuvers-to-rapidly-change-orbit

Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery #photography #airandspace #aircraft #airplanes #atlantis #avgeek #aviationphotography #challenger #columbia #discovery #endeavour #enterprise #nasa #planes #cryogenic #highlight #hypergolic #orbiter #rocket #solidrocketbooster #spaceshuttle #spacecraft #spaceplane (Flickr 08.07.2016) https://www.flickr.com/photos/7489441@N06/28112721131

Virgin Galactic Cautiously Returns To Flight - After Richard Branson delivered some inspiring words from his seat aboard SpaceShi... - https://hackaday.com/2023/05/04/virgin-galactic-cautiously-returns-to-flight/ #virgingalactic #currentevents #spacetourism #spaceplane #suborbital #featured #space #news

You'd still be *much* better off reading my own blog post on lifting-body spacecraft, though. 😉

#AI #spaceflight #liftingbody #capsule #spaceplane #technology #thoughts #self #blog

https://www.adamasnemesis.com/2022/05/20/catching-a-lift/

Imagining I'm a spacecraft designer for me, my friends, and enough people to have a little party on board, I asked ChatGPT the perennial question of which would be best: a capsule, a lifting body, or a spaceplane? It provided a good summary on the topic for me. 🙂

#AI #ChatGPT #spaceflight #liftingbody #capsule #spaceplane #technology #artificialintelligence #thoughts #self

@arstechnica Jan 19, 2022 #Radian announces to build a #SSTO #spaceplane ✈️ which could lift five people 👨‍🚀 and 5,000 pounds of #cargo 📦 into #orbit 🌎 https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/01/radian-announces-plans-to-build-one-of-the-holy-grails-of-spaceflight

Picture : #VentureStar single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane size comparison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VentureStar

#RocketScience #ReusableLaunchVehicle #SpaceCompany

Dawn Aerospace unveils the Mk II Aurora suborbital space plane, capable of multiple same-day flights - Just like we enjoy a range of different possible modes of transportation on Earth, the potential of ... more: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/J-IVnFLU3IA/ #privatespaceflight #launchservices #smallsatellite #netherlands #spaceflight #newzealand #outerspace #spaceplane #aerospace #rocketlab #science #cubesat #aurora #flight #space #dawn #tc