European eXPErimental Re-entry Testbed

European eXPErimental Re-entry Test-bed (EXPERT) is a European Space Agency aerothermodynamics research programme. It was planned that vehicle will be launched on a Russian Volna launch vehicle and will provide knowledge and experience in the design and development of re-entry vehicles.^[1] As of 2012, one element in a European Space Agency push to develop vehicles capable of re-entry has been pushed back until at least 2013 as the agency seeks a launch alternative to the Russian submarine-launched Volna rocket which was withdrawn.^[2] One of its main goals was to test materials for ESA's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), an unmanned, delta-winged plane launched in 2015 aboard ESA's new Vega small-satellite launcher.^[3] Currently EXPERT remains in storage conditions in Turin.^[4]

EXPERT Mission objectives

According to an ESA-ESTEC paper,^[5] the EXPERT program has the following goals:

Enable in-flight data gathering of selected aerothermodynamic phenomena with high accuracy and reliability
Allow the validation of numerical modeling tools (CFD) and of methodologies for ground-to-flight data extrapolation
Qualify in-flight classical and advanced measurement techniques
Conduct extensive post-flight analyses based on in-flight data, pre-flight numerical databases, preflight ground testing activities.

References

^ "Space cone to acquire expert data". July 21, 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
^ Thisdell, Dan (June 25, 2012). "ESA re-entry test needs new budget after Russian pull-out". Flightglobal.com.
^ "European Re-entry Capsule Grounded After Russia Withdraws Launch Offer". SpaceNews.com. June 7, 2012.
^ "ESA Bulletin 161 (1st quarter 2015)" (PDF). ESA Bulletin. ESA: 79. 2015. ISSN 0376-4265. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
^ "European Experimental Re-Entry Testbed EXPERT: Qualification of Payloads for Flight" (PDF).

External links

European eXPErimental Re-entry Test-bed (EXPERT)
EXPERT – European experimental re-entry test-bed
EXPERT: An atmospheric re-entry test-bed
Development of the re-entry spectrometer RESPECT for the ESA capsule EXPERT

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[1] "Space cone to acquire expert data". July 21, 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.

[2] Thisdell, Dan (June 25, 2012). "ESA re-entry test needs new budget after Russian pull-out". Flightglobal.com.

[3] "European Re-entry Capsule Grounded After Russia Withdraws Launch Offer". SpaceNews.com. June 7, 2012.

[ESABulletin161-4] "ESA Bulletin 161 (1st quarter 2015)" (PDF). ESA Bulletin. ESA: 79. 2015. ISSN 0376-4265. Retrieved 30 May 2015.

[5] "European Experimental Re-Entry Testbed EXPERT: Qualification of Payloads for Flight" (PDF).