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International Association of Space Entrepreneurs
Posted on 05/13/2010 5:23:52 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is considered one of the most critical moments in spaceflight. To make the journey into space and back to Earth safer, cheaper and more flexible, the German Aerospace Center has designed an experimental spacecraft. The Shefex II project uses advanced technologies such as a sharp, angular design and active cooling of the heat shield. For the first time, scientists have tested a model of the spacecraft in a wind tunnel at Gottingen.
In early 2011, Shefex II (SHarp Edge Flight EXperiment) is scheduled to lift off from the Australian testing ground at Woomera. This is in many ways a unique spacecraft. Building on the successful Shefex I flight, and unlike previous space vehicles, the outer skin is not rounded, but has sharp edges.
Shefex II will test a system for active cooling of the heat shield for the first time in space. It is the only spacecraft project to be financed and run entirely by Germany and has the capability of returning to Earth under automatic control.
Re-entry at 12,000 kilometres per hour To check their computer calculations before the flight, the DLR researchers will be simulating re-entry of this spacecraft using a model. Wind tunnel trials are being conducted in the High-Enthalpy Shock Tunnel at DLR Gottingen, one of Europe's main large-scale facilities for research into hypersonic flight and the re-entry of spacecraft.
In a wind tunnel that is 62 metres long, a piston first compresses propellant gas. After a steel diaphragm bursts, a powerful shock wave compresses and heats a test gas before it is accelerated into the wind tunnel at 10 times the speed of sound. That equates to a speed in excess of 12,000 kilometres per hour.
(Excerpt) Read more at space-travel.com ...
Ping
This is an interesting idea - but if something goes wrong, it will go wrong very, very quickly.
I like the concept too. The Germans are really good at space sciences since the advanced it with the Peenemunde scientists during WWII
Amazing design. Amazing wind tunnel also.
I agree
Back in the early 70s NASA Ames had a helium blow-down wind tunnel that reached Mach 10 - 12. I hated it -- VERY noisy (but thankfully short-lived tests).
Were you even supposed to be IN there?
I dont see how their airframe design would handle landing speeds though.
LOL, the test section was too small for a human.
I was across the street. It was still too noisy.
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