An Experimental Vehicle Is About to Launch into Space, Then Splash Down to Earth

Update 3.30pm GMT: After a slight delay in the countdown, the Vega rocket successfully launched and ESA reports that the IXV spaceplane "flew a flawless reentry." It's currently floating in the Pacific as intended, waiting to be collected by the ship.

A new car-sized space plane is about to launch into space and, if all goes to plan, coast safely back to Earth.

The European Space Agency ​ is launching its Intermediate Experimental Vehicle (IXV) at 1 PM GMT from its centre in French Guiana.

The IXV is a small, unmanned vehicle that ESA describes as about the size of a car at five metres long and weighing two tonnes. It's a spaceplane, but it doesn't have wings; a couple of flaps and thrusters at the back will help to control the vehicle's journey.

It will liftoff on a Vega rocket to about 400 km (a distance comparable to the orbit of the International Space Station) before beginning the re-entry phase. At this point it will be travelling around 7.5 km per second and as it's guided back to Earth it'll be slowed by a multistage parachute.

It should then splash safely down in the Pacific Ocean, where  ​giant balloons will hopefully keep it afloat. The whole flight should take around 100 minutes, and a ship named Nos Aries will be waiting to hoist it out of the water.

The purpose of the mission is to test re-entry technologies; something that Europe is a bit behind on. The IXV spaceplane will test new materials to avoid burning up on re-entry, and a load of sensors will collect data on the interaction between the vehicle and its environment.

"This flight will address system and technological aspects for atmospheric reentry unique for Europe, which will be key for multiple long-term European applications, such as reusable launcher stages, return mission from other planets, return from orbital infrastructures," IXV programme manager Giorgio Tumino told me over email.

Basically: If you want to go there, you probably want to be able to come back. At the moment, ESA uses Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to bring astronauts home from the International Space Station. The technology tested on the IXV will feed into future efforts to close this loop.

Reusability is also a big trend in space right now—later this evening, SpaceX  ​will also be attempting a launch-and-land mission. After several delays, it will aim to launch the DSCOVR satellite and then land part of its Falcon 9 rocket actually on a drone boat. ​The first time it tried this the rocket managed to reach the platform but was destroyed on landing.

ESA is already working on its next spaceplane for re-entry as part of its Programme for Reusable In-Orbit Demonstrator for Europe (PRIDE). The ultimate aim is for that vehicle to actually land on a runway. ​ ESA described it as a smaller and cheaper version of the US's secretive X-3​7B, a vehicle that launches like a rocket but lands like a plane.