Groundbreaking spaceplane crashes before landmark aerospike rocket test

https://newatlas.com/ ^ | May 09, 2024 | Joe Salas

[Jonty30]

It was set to be the world's first flight test for an aerospike rocket engine, but the MIRA I prototype crashed on takeoff before the most innovative part of its propulsion system could fire. Undeterred, Polaris is building two bigger prototypes. The MIRA I, from German aerospace startup Polaris Raumflugzeuge, was traveling at approximately 105 mph (169 km/h) during takeoff when a "landing gear steering reaction" plus a side wind caused a "hard landing event," rendering the space plane inoperable and it's fiberglass airframe damaged beyond repair. Its subsystems remained mostly intact – however, rather than attempt to repair the prototype spaceplane, Polaris has opted to decommission the 4.25-meter (13.9-ft) long MIRA I to go ahead with the identically shaped 5 m (16 ft) MIRA II and III design. Basically larger copies of the MIRA I.

[Cowman]

Was Stave Austin the pilot?

[subterfuge]

I’ll bet you’re a lot of fun at a party.

[Cowman]

Was Stave Austin the pilot?

[moovova]

[null and void]

Steve

[MayflowerMadam]

Ha!

[jz638]

Article reads like a high schooler wrote it on the bus to school the morning it was due, hoping that’s some sort of automated translation thing and not a reflection the original author just being a high schooler, quality coverage of technology news is sorely needed.

[null and void]

Direct image access denied, please go to worthpoint.com to view images.

[alexander_busek]

[...] rendering the space plane inoperable and it's its fiberglass airframe damaged beyond repair [...]

"Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology..."

Regards,

[Macho MAGA Man]

Yes, it looks similar.

[dljordan]

The ‘spike’ engine sounds interesting.

[Jonty30]

New Atlas tends to use amateur writers and they pay by the article. So, you’re getting people who like to write but may not be the most polished of writers.

Anybody can join, as long as they have articles to submit that are worth reading.

[Macho MAGA Man]

Lol

Colonel Steve Austin would be too old these days to withstand the g-forces.

[Cowman]

You never can tell. Some belts and hoses and maybe a carb rebuild....

[moovova]

“Direct image access denied, please go to worthpoint.com to view images.”

Is that what it’s saying for the picture I tried to post? Odd.

[MeanWestTexan]

They’ve been around since WWII on paper and the 1950s.

They’re less efficient than bell engines designed for a given altitude, but can adjust on the fly so one engine works pretty good at all altitudes.

Not particularly useful in a proper rocket that drops stages, but very useful form a space plane that has to do it all.

[Chainmail]

"I’ll bet you’re a lot of fun at a party."

I expect not - very difficult for me to suffer fools. MS Engineering 1982, Program Manager/Senior Engineer for 13 at a military laboratory.

[null and void]

Yep, yep.

[al baby]

Bet you go though lots of Ben Gay

[NorthMountain]

The usual load of goofy comments!

They're easier than thinking and learning ...