News European small launch vehicle start-up news

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1982317482183422272

 

[Urwumpe]

Damn, I even read it last month, but somehow forgot posting it here. Isn't that much new information.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2012129875943924011

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2013306832677155325

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2013596518150758471

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2013940928835178662

 

[dennis.krenz]

Polaris Raumflugzeuge scales up once more. The company has received another contract from the German federal ministry of defense for building Hytev, a fighter-sized, unmanned, hypersonic, reuseable test bed, that shall be able to also deliver small payloads into space. The contract aims for the delivery of the first system in 2027. What the BAAINBw calls Hytev in their planning seems to take the place of the concept Aurora, that was supposed to be the first production UAV of Polaris.

Also, the company announced that their current and last subscale prototype, the 8.5 m long Nova, will aim for Mach 2 and 20 km altitude in this years test campaign.

Bremisches Unternehmen Polaris baut Hyperschallfluggerät für die Bundeswehr

Das Luft- und Raumfahrtunternehmen Polaris baut ein unbemanntes Hyperschallflugzeug für die Bundeswehr. Es soll 2027 ausgeliefert werden.

www.heise.de

The company is also one of the few in the world that develops technologies for refueling UAVs and unmanned tanker aircraft.

 

[dennis.krenz]

German TV News with a segment about Polaris Raumflugzeuge:

 

[steph]

Looks like a start-up from Bordeaux, HyPrSpace , will launch for the first time this year, from metropolitan France, no less (aka some army test range), but just a suborbital demonstrator for now

HyPrSpace looks for applications beyond launch for its hybrid propulsion technology

A French launch startup that recently closed a funding round is seeking defense applications for its hybrid propulsion technology.

spacenews.com

HyPrSpace prepares for the first launch of its Baguette-1 vehicle from a DGA missile test site

www.hypr-space.com

Their pitch seems to be a hybrid engine of some sort, with an orbital launch (two stage, I suppose) coming up in 2027. I don't see how that one will be from mainland France, tho. Perhaps some orbits might work off the southern coast, but the Mediterranean is quite crowded anyways, ship and land-wise. Launch off the tip of Brittany ? Or maybe just pulling a China move and sending it over the 'diagonale du vide', assuming population density is low enough and all that

 

[dennis.krenz]

Well, how about the "DGA Essais de Missiles - Site Landes", not far from Bordeaux? Its on the Atlantic Coast and has been used for testing French rockets before.

 

[N_Molson]

Yes, the 'Landes' are a vast pinetrees forest. There are town and villages, of course, but overall the population density is low (except some places on the coast, like Biarritz, the surfers paradise). Should be fine for Westwards suborbital launches, there is maritime traffic but you can probably get a corridor for a few hours.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2034238990375686447

 

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Another delay

https://twitter.com/x/status/2035993194597429506

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2036505170490888606

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/2036848637418815891

Official live stream, should start in ~2 hours:

 

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Showing T-22 minutes... obviously delayed, no info why.

 

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The culprit is some idiot in a boat offshore, so red range.

 

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T-5 minutes... seems like there is no word on the boat, but the clock is still counting down

 

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T-2 minutes, range is green!

 

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Hold!