Post by glactus on Dec 12, 2011 23:08:26 GMT
French aerospace firm Dassault Aviation is close to finishing with its fact-finding report to create a manned suborbital spacecraft for civilians called the VSH. Dassault Aviation is using the project as an opportunity to extend its aerospace activities to include an aircraft of the future.
The Dassault Sub Orbital Space plane
The VSH was developed from Dassault’s satellite launch vehicle project named VEHRA air-launched reusable hypersonic vehicle project and is based on NASA’s X-38 experimental lifting body, for which Dassault had done the shaping. The VSH project also draws from the European Space Agency’s work done in the 1990s on the presently-abandoned Hermes spaceplane.
The Dassault Space plane top view
The Dassault VSH suborbital vehicle will weigh 11 metric tons and be capable of carrying six passengers. It would be launched from the air by a commercial transport aircraft. The company revealed that the air-launch method was preferred as it did not involve the limitations present in the case of a classic ground launch. The requirements of an air-launch are limited to a slim line infrastructure on the ground.
View of the Hermes space plane
Passengers on board the VSH will be able to observe the Earth’s curvature and experience weightlessness for period of around three minutes. However, the company has maintained that the Dassault VSH will not be a space shuttle. It will be an aircraft with superior performance and a top flight speed of Mach 3.5.
To see 3 minute video of the Dassault Low Orbital spacecraft just click on the link below. Has sound. Full screen option bottom right.
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ghlIkp2M4t4
Credits: These are non copywrite and Dassault Aviation images
Text by wikipedia
video by YouTube
The Dassault Sub Orbital Space plane
The VSH was developed from Dassault’s satellite launch vehicle project named VEHRA air-launched reusable hypersonic vehicle project and is based on NASA’s X-38 experimental lifting body, for which Dassault had done the shaping. The VSH project also draws from the European Space Agency’s work done in the 1990s on the presently-abandoned Hermes spaceplane.
The Dassault Space plane top view
The Dassault VSH suborbital vehicle will weigh 11 metric tons and be capable of carrying six passengers. It would be launched from the air by a commercial transport aircraft. The company revealed that the air-launch method was preferred as it did not involve the limitations present in the case of a classic ground launch. The requirements of an air-launch are limited to a slim line infrastructure on the ground.
View of the Hermes space plane
Passengers on board the VSH will be able to observe the Earth’s curvature and experience weightlessness for period of around three minutes. However, the company has maintained that the Dassault VSH will not be a space shuttle. It will be an aircraft with superior performance and a top flight speed of Mach 3.5.
To see 3 minute video of the Dassault Low Orbital spacecraft just click on the link below. Has sound. Full screen option bottom right.
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ghlIkp2M4t4
Credits: These are non copywrite and Dassault Aviation images
Text by wikipedia
video by YouTube