Japan tested a 3.8m (12ft)-long, 735kg (1,620lb) jet-powered space shuttle prototype from Christmas Island on 18 October. The vehicle reached 1,970ft, achieved 155kt (290km/h) and flew for 9.5min on the first flight in the National Space Development Agency's Phase 1 High Speed Flight Demonstration programme.
The vehicle made an automated approach and landing on the 1,800m runway using its flight control computer, inertial measurement unit and global positioning system guidance. Four flights are due next month.
The vehicle is a 25%-scale model of NASDA's proposed H-2 Orbiting Plane Experiment (HOPE-X) unmanned winged re-entry vehicle, which has been put on hold due to budget cuts.
Source: Flight International
