Objective
The objective is to identify and assess the long-term potential of commercial high-altitude flight in Europe for selected mission requirements, in view of the activities in the USA following the successful SpaceShipOne demonstration. Furthermore, it is proposed to identify for Europe missing developments in technology and address safety measures as well as needed steps to satisfy legislation.
A corresponding research and development strategy to enable commercial high-altitude flights will be worked out in order to secure the international competitiveness of European industries. While the common understanding of the European community is that the sub-orbital high-altitude flight is technically feasible within a few years, building on the available knowledge in aviation, it has never been proven experimentally.
The USA has achieved with SpaceShipOne an air-launched X-vehicle, which, however, will require significant effort before becoming a commercial, routinely used transport vehicle. Such sub-orbital flight is also understood to be on the borderline to space, since the transport of people is approaching the orbital environment without really entering it fully in the sense of having to master the harsh environment of hypersonic re-entry into the atmosphere.
According to reports the interest in the USA in high-altitude flying is very large in spite of the high price, suggesting a profitable niche for commercial flight and triggering innovation in small industries to satisfy such demand.
Key objectives are hence
1. assess worldwide activities and define reasonable mission requirements
2. identify potential show stoppers, technical but in particular non-technical ones, and missing elements for carrying out commercial high-altitude flight
3. propose a way forward to achieve commercial sub-orbital flight, including potential self-sustained development steps leading to human hypersonic flight, and a funding scenario for a first experimental flight
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering astronautical engineering spacecraft
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft
- social sciences law
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-AERO-2
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
NOORDWIJK
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.