Airbus Defence and Space has unveiled what it hopes will be its answer to the cost-cutting reusable rockets being pioneered by US disruptor SpaceX.
Called Adeline, Airbus’ concept is designed to allow the safe recovery of its launch vehicles’ main…
Airbus Defence and Space has unveiled what it hopes will be its answer to the cost-cutting reusable rockets being pioneered by US disruptor SpaceX.
Called Adeline, Airbus’ concept is designed to allow the safe recovery of its launch vehicles’ main engines and avionics, which represent between 70% and 80% of the value of its rockets, and is scheduled for its maiden voyage in 2025.
Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9 system, Adeline is simply a module which sits at the base of the launcher containing the engines and avionics, and detaches after lofting its payload into orbit. Once it has separated it will perform a ballistic re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere and then fly back to land on a conventional runway.
Commenting on the design theory behind its new system, Airbus said: “The main challenge is not so much to be able to recover a launcher after a mission, although this is difficult enough, but above all to ensure the launcher is ready to fly again with the same level of quality and reliability as if it were new, and with a negligible cost of minimal refurbishment.”
So far, SpaceX has managed to get the ᤙ7;rst stage of Falcon 9 back into the Earth’s atmosphere, but has suffered hard landings to date. Adeline can be potentially adapted to be used on any launcher, but its priority is to improve the competitiveness of its launchers and launch service, namely Ariane 6. The cost also means that at present Airbus only envisages adapting the concept on liquid propulsion ᤙ7;rst stages, like Ariane 6’s Vulcain 2.
Despite Airbus and Safran’s Airbus Safran Launchers JV taking over development of Ariane 6 later this year, Adeline will be developed in-house by Airbus and then implemented by Airbus Safran Launcher.
