EADS Astrium Space Tourism Project | Wikipedia audio article
Channel: Subhajit Sahu
Date: 2019-03-26

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_Defence_and_Space_Spaceplane


00:01:48 1 Origin of the project
00:02:59 2 Flight profile
00:04:18 3 Characteristics
00:05:57 4 Industrial organisation
00:07:42 5 Criticisms
00:08:03 6 See also



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SUMMARY
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The Airbus Defence and Space Spaceplane, also called EADS Astrium TBN according to some sources, is a suborbital spaceplane concept for carrying space tourists, proposed by EADS Astrium (currently Airbus Defence and Space), the space subsidiary of the European consortium EADS (currently Airbus).  A full-size mockup was officially unveiled in Paris, France, on June 13, 2007, and is now on display in the Concorde hall of the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace. The project is the first space tourism entry by a major aerospace contractor.
It is a rocket plane with a large wingspan, straight rearwards wing and a pair of canards. Propulsion is ensured by classical turbofan jet engines for the atmospheric phase and a methane-oxygen rocket engine for the space tourism phase. It can carry a pilot and four passengers. The dimensions and looks are somewhat similar to those of a business jet.
As of  2007, EADS Astrium hoped to start development of this rocket plane by 2008, with the objective of a first flight in 2011. There was also a possibility that the Tunisian area of Tozeur might be used for the initial flights. Demonstrator test flight regarding conditions encountered in the end-of-flight phase of a return from space occurred on June 5, 2014.As of 2015, EADS Astrium was awaiting for investors.