ESA Unveils Re-Entry Module

bmcage writes "The ESA unveiled the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle, a real re-entry vehicle. Although it will not be reused, it has a better geometry than NASA's Orion or the Russian Soyuz, giving better lift, and control. This is not done by the addition of useless wings, but by using two brakes. Finally a departure from the Apollo design that is actually better?"

Comments

Looks like a penguin

[VincenzoRomano]

Also penguins rely on better geometry and not on useless wings!

Re:Looks like a penguin

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, but does a penguin run Linux?

Re:Looks like a penguin

[morgan_greywolf]

Yeah, they rely on their small size, highly efficient shape and and their high resistance to viruses and other foreign invaders. That and funding from billionaires in South Africa.

Re:Looks like a penguin

[ozamosi]

So, it's like Yet Another Tuxracer fork, but in space?

FYI

[Thanshin]

> it has a better geometry than NASA's Orion or the Russian Soyuz, giving better lift, and control. This is not done by the addition of useless wings, but by using two brakes.

In case you're interested: The brakes are controlled separately. One applies to the front directing cilindrical sustainer, the other to the rear main power.

The optimal braking is then executed applying the force in a 3/7 proportion, to avoid unnecessary drifting.

Further investigations are studying the possibility of changing the current power source. So the astronauts don't get so tired.

With apologies to Bugs Bunny...

[Anonymous Coward]

They must be air brakes.

Re-entrant?

[gotem]

So that means it's thread safe?

Re:It's a lifting body

[bickerdyke]

Bmcage needs to look into what lifting bodies are

Those things that almost killed Steve Austin?