Italy aim for Space Shuttle and Hyper X, serious cash

[franson_space]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=47<br /><br />Serious stuff from the Italians.<br /><br />Test flight at the end of the year. Hypersonic both in and above the atmosphere. Serious replacement mentions for the US Space Shuttle (so the full scale must have some serious payload capacity aims).<br /><br />That picture is sweet too. Looks like an X-34.

 

[acid_frost]

I say good for them, I enjoy seeing other nations doing more than NASA and their endless no future outlook other than wasting the tax payers money. Go Italy and all other nations with real ambitions that have no fear! Sorry to be negative but I don’t see the US being the leader in space in the next 10-15 years unless they get their head out of their A$$. They have got to wonder why no one really cares, i was more excited when White knight took off and made history. We see real courage and innovation and a drive that NASA no longer has. <br /><br />At least others are thinking about their own launch vehicle, when NASA cant even have a replacement before the retirement of the Shuttle, that is simple unacceptable we should have a replacement before the retirement and utilize to vehicles for the end of the Shuttle.<br /><br />Acid

 

[nacnud]

Interesting does Martimo Vieri have any more details, like is this part of the EADS Hopper project or a related but parallel effort by the Italians? Nice to see that Vega could be used in future launches of similar vehicles, not surprising since Vega is also a mostly Italian effort as well.<br /><br />I hope that they keep this vehicle small for now and use it as a test bed to gather data, not that I'm against shuttles (well I am in some respects but that’s beside the point for now) but I would prefer to see an actual vehicle fly rather than an ambitious project that runs out of money.<br />

 

[shuttle_rtf]

It's Martimo's brief to cover this, so more to come.

 

[franson_space]

That's great. How are the other Shuttles coming along, anyone? China and Russia are planning too yes?

 

[davf]

"A special balloon will carry it to an altitude of 24km, then it will start its supersonic launch. "<br /><br />Hey, they should give the DaVinci guys a call... I bet they can get a balloon cheap! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[franson_space]

Joking about 300 million plus dollars on just the eight meter version?<br /><br />This isn't wasteful NASA we're talking about.

 

[wvbraun]

I will be surprised if anything ever comes of it. 1207 is right. Europe sucks when it comes to funding space projects. We should pay for the development of the russian Kliper vehicle and launch it from Kourou. That makes much more sense IMHO.

 

[franson_space]

But they are test launching this year, which is more than can be said for any other new space craft around.

 

[jurgens]

Umm DARPA is also testing the X-37 this year too.

 

[nacnud]

Yep I agree. Europe provided quite a lot of the X-38 and never really got back the data they were after, a simmilar relationship with the Russian might be more productive.

 

[john_316]

if i can recall correctly only one european country even had a contract in the X-38 program and I think it was for some avionics hardware/software from Norway or Denmark... Not sure which off hand though....<br /><br />Besides X-38 could already have been in production right now for CTV and CRV if we would have went ahead and built and or modified as required by now.<br /><br />CRV? OSP? CEV? whats next? Shuttle flying until 2020?<br /><br />

 

[nacnud]

I think that some of the TPS and hot structures were to be provided by Europe (Germany) in return for data on how they coped with re-entry. I think that there might have been some involvment with the RCS as well but I'm not sure about that, also the software controling the parafoil.

 

[askold]

As someone who has owned an Italian car, I'd suggest that they add room for one crewmember to this "pilotless" vehicle - a mechanic.

 

[wvbraun]

I agree that it was foolish to cancel the X-38. But it would have been no substitute for the planned CEV, not even close.

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">I agree that it was foolish to cancel the X-38. But it would have been no substitute for the planned CEV, not even close.</font>/i><br /><br />How about as a Crew Transfer Vehicle?<br /><br />The t/Space plan has a relatively low-capable vehicle to get humans into space to dock with a space station (ISS, or a Bigelow) and a cislunar CEV. Could the X-38 fill a similar role?</i>