Hope-X high speed flight demonstration program phase II – a CNES/NAL/NASDA cooperation Original Research Article

In the frame of its cooperation with the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), the CNES French Space Agency takes part in the High Speed Flight Demonstration (HSFD) Phase II. The HSFD program is planned as part of the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) and NASDA joint research for the H-II Orbiting Plane Experiment (HOPE-X), an unmanned re-entry vehicle project. The program consists of two phases, and the purpose of HSFD Phase II is to estimate the HOPE-X transonic aerodynamic characteristics: a sub-scaled vehicle will be lifted to high altitude by a stratospheric balloon, from where it will be released and will accelerate into free fall to transonic region. The CNES Balloon Division is responsible for the balloon system, the launch operation, and the recovery of the vehicle after touch down. Six flights are planned between May and August 2003.