Airbus has announced it has performed a test drop of a quarter-scale spaceplane demonstrator aircraft.
The test drops from an AS350B3e helicopter saw the demonstrator dropped from 3,000 metres and piloted remotely to simulate conditions in the end-of-flight phase after a return from space.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
Login
Become a Member
To continue reading the rest of this article, please login.Forgot password?
To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today! A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
The quarter-scale demonstrator used in the tests was built in partnership with HOPE Technik and Airbus Group Innovations, while the test flight was supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board and was conducted over the South China Sea with a support fleet of seven ships.