A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

Wanted: Space Plane Demonstrator BY pierre sparacO

n the last few months, French industry Even NASA’s policy makers acknowl- space engineer] generation by determin- Iofficials repeatedly stressed that the edged the potential of such a new path ing new challenges, setting new targets, European aerospace industry’s com- and recently agreed to invest $500,000 taking risks,” Winisdoerffer declares. petitiveness is seriously endangered by in seed money for the private develop- The ACE working group is currently weak research and technology funding. ment of commercial spacecraft that evaluating the merits of a Mach 3.5 lift- This negative trend could further accel- could deliver cargo and perhaps astro- ing body-like space plane. erate in the wake of the unfavorable U.S. nauts to the International Space Station Technology partly comes from dollar/euro exchange rate. (AW&ST Mar. 9/26, p. 90). Europe’s ill-fated Hermes space plane

The dollar is now aviation cherfi/dassault concept morad and follow-on studies valued at nearly $1.5, performed by Dassault up from about 90 cents Aviation, dubbed Vehra. when the common cur- Gifas French aerospace rency was established industries association seven years ago, dete- and major companies riorating Europe’s ca- such as Safran and pacity for maintaining Thales are interested, profitability and market Winisdoerffer adds, in share while competitors an indication that ACE’s produce aircraft mostly plan could evolve into a in “weak” currency. technology demonstra- Leading companies tor. Other European in- located in the so-called dustrialists are consid- Euroland, such as Air- ering similar projects, bus, after implementing highlighting a urgent wide-ranging cost-saving need for coordination. plans, including manu- However, no concrete facturing outsourcing initiatives are in sight. and job cuts, could be Astronaute Club Europeen’s envisioned space plane is based on a Dassault French Sen. Henri Revol obliged to cut research Aviation feasibility study. is suggesting mixed pub- funding in a broader ef- lic-private funding for fort to slash overall costs and maintain EADS CEO Francois Auque indicates commercial space. However, the Galileo profitability. In doing so, they could, that space tourism is likely via subor- satellite navigation system’s near politi- temporarily or definitively, fall further bital flights but, at this point, he hasn’t cal collapse, recently, regrettably con- behind the competition. been able to arrange funding for a pro- firmed the European aerospace indus- European industry leaders believe the posed program tentatively expected to try’s heel dragging. The initial Galileo time has come for innovative ideas and, require about $1 billion for development funding plan fell apart when contractors in the absence of new defense programs, alone. No showstoppers are in sight and refused to take financial risks. According the principle of technology demonstra- the envisioned 5-7-seat plane could well to the revised plan devised by European tors should be relaunched. This could be prefigure fast exoatmospheric travel at Transport Commissioner Jacques Bar- done quickly and relatively cheaply by Mach 5 or above. rot, Galileo’s satellite constellation will being bold enough to forge an all-new National aerospace research agencies now be fully funded by the EC. research strategy. such as France’s Onera and DLR in Ger- Frankly, programs such as a “next- Commercial space, for example, could many could help establish a multination- generation” suborbital space plane help determine new opportunities. In al technology demonstration program could be funded by private-public part- addition to short-term business cases, while the European Commission’s (EC) nerships. So far, no charismatic leader space planes could lead to light, reusable research arm could participate. “This has emerged. Though private-public launchers to complement the Ariane is a new challenge for Europe,” Francis frontiers haven’t been ruled out as yet, heavy-lift booster. Scaled Composites’ Winisdoerffer says enthusiastically. He valuable time is being lost complaining. SpaceShipTwo, developed for Richard is promoting, with other space boosters Times have changed since the Hermes Branson’s Virgin Galactic, is already pav- such as French astronaut Jean-Pierre shuttle’s cancellation and a new decision ing the way for suborbital space tourism. Haigneré, the Astronaute Club Europ- window is opening right now. Ignoring Further developments could become re- een (ACE). this opportunity would be Europe’s next ality at a relatively low cost. “We must take care of the new [aero- error.  c www.aviationweek.com/awst aviation week & space technology/December 10, 2007 67