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SOAR is a partially reusable air-launched spaceplane launch system designed to launch small satellites on a suborbital or orbital trajectory. The vehicle, derived from the Hermes spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency, is planned to be built, launched, and operated by Swiss Space Systems. The spaceplane will launch from an Airbus A300 aircraft named S3 Zero Gravity Airliner. Once at altitude, the spaceplane will separate from the aircraft and ignite an NK-39 engine developed by Russian Federal Space Agency. After fuel depletion at about 80 kilometers altitude, the plane will release its payload before gliding back and landing on Earth. The launch vehicle will also have low Earth orbit capability when launched in conjunction with an expendable upper stage. Swiss Space Systems has contracted the Russian firm RKK Energia to develop the upper stage. With an upper stage, the spacecraft will be able to launch a 250 kilogram payload into orbit.〔 The spaceplane is currently targeted to have its first test launch by 2017. Swiss Space Systems claims that the spaceplane could cost about four times less than current suborbital launch costs. == Development == Swiss Space Systems announced 2015 that the airplane will begin test flights in 2016. Additionally, by Spring 2016 the company plans to begin drop testing of the spaceplane, which would include dropping a scaled-down boilerplate spacecraft which would autonomously land in an airport. As of September 2014, test firings of the engine were expected to begin in late 2015. The company also partnered with Bauman Moscow State Technical University in 2013. According to Explore Deep Space, this partnership will "enable the exchange of academicals between Russia and Switzerland". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「SOAR (spaceplane)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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