Joint study between ASI and JAXA

ASI Agenzia Spaziale Italiana: Last week a joint ASI-CIRA delegation met in Japan with a delegation of the Space Transportation Directorate of JAXA to conclude a cooperation study lasted 8 months about the feasibility for a concept of a new and innovative space reentry vehicle. The meeting took place in CHOFU near Tokyo at the Aerospace Center of JAXA where all previous Japanese projects on reentry have been conducted, and the delegations have positively and jointly converged on concepts for winged bodies to be launched inside the VEGA launcher fairing and capable to maneuver during reentry for space in order to safely land on a runaway.The concept has been studied to accommodate inside the vehicle a cargo bay to host multipurpose missions instruments, but mainly it is designed to use highly innovative and miniaturized technologies to advance both Agencies toward new systems for future orbital and sub-orbital aerospace transportation systems. Main guidelines for a joint program development have been analyzed too, up to the possible realization of a demonstration prototype for a sub-orbital mission to be done within the next years. The results of the joint study will be soon presented to both JAXA and ASI Presidents.