European and French Cold War Space shuttles.

[ukron]

Hello everyone, a collection of short articles, links and images relating to European and French aerospace research during the Cold War.

Don't hesitate to participate.

Artist's impression of the Aerospatiale STS 2000 demonstrator, imagined in the 1980s, taking off from a runway near the CS in Kourou.

The STS 2000 Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO) is a reusable single-stage launcher using aerobic propulsion up to Mach 6. The SSTO takes off horizontally with the aid of a landing gear. It takes off at a speed of 150 m/s and an angle of incidence of 12 degrees. The STS 2000 would have flown from Mach 0.4 to Mach 3.6 using four turbo rockets, from Mach 3.6 to Mach 6 using four ramjet rockets and from Mach 6 to Mach 25 using four rocket engines. On re-entry, it “glides” from orbit to earth and lands like an airplane in Kourou.

[575]

Sept 18, 2024 15:36:35 GMT ukron said:

Hello everyone, a collection of short articles, links and images relating to European and French aerospace research during the Cold War.

Don't hesitate to participate.

Artist's impression of the Aerospatiale STS 2000 demonstrator, imagined in the 1980s, taking off from a runway near the CS in Kourou.

The STS 2000 Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO) is a reusable single-stage launcher using aerobic propulsion up to Mach 6. The SSTO takes off horizontally with the aid of a landing gear. It takes off at a speed of 150 m/s and an angle of incidence of 12 degrees. The STS 2000 would have flown from Mach 0.4 to Mach 3.6 using four turbo rockets, from Mach 3.6 to Mach 6 using four ramjet rockets and from Mach 6 to Mach 25 using four rocket engines. On re-entry, it “glides” from orbit to earth and lands like an airplane in Kourou.

Interesting but seems somewhat complicated with 3 - 4? types of engines. Would take off be jet-engines or RATO like stuff? then going for turbo rockets - ramjets - rocket engines?

[ukron]

Franco-German ERNO-Mistral space shuttle project developed as part of the European ESRO (European Aerospace Transporter) project in the late 60s/early 70s. Illustration by Daniel Uhr.

[lordroel]

I always liked the Hermes, a ESA project that never was.

[stevep]

Oct 28, 2024 15:33:51 GMT ukron said:

Franco-German ERNO-Mistral space shuttle project developed as part of the European ESRO (European Aerospace Transporter) project in the late 60s/early 70s. Illustration by Daniel Uhr.

  That looks distinctly boxy, or is that just me?  Mind you I always remember hearing that the US Space shuttle had the aerodynamics of a brick when it came in to land.