POLARIS Spaceplanes, a Bremen-based company founded in 2019, has completed an initial flight test campaign for its MIRA II demonstrator between October 25-27, 2024. The key highlights include:
Test Details:
Location: Peenemünde Airport on the Baltic Sea coast
Total flight time: 20 minutes
Total distance covered: Over 50 kilometres
Three test flights conducted
Flight Progression:
First flight (Oct 25): 180 kg configuration, used to tune flight controller
Second flight (Oct 26): 199 kg, began testing autopilot capabilities
Third flight (Oct 27): 218 kg, entire mission (except take-off/landing) flown by autopilot
Vehicle Specifications:
Five-metre-long spaceplane
Equipped with jet engines for take-off/landing
Will be fitted with an in-house developed AS-1 aerospike engine for rocket-powered flight
Future Plans:
Preparing for the vehicle’s first rocket-powered flight
Working towards developing AURORA, a multipurpose spaceplane capable of delivering up to 1,000 kg payloads to low Earth orbit
The company is now completing the installation of the AS-1 aerospike engine for its upcoming rocket-powered flight.
Source: European Spaceflight
