Artist's impression of SCRAMSPACE I
Artist's impression of SCRAMSPACE I
The 1.8-metre-long spacecraft will be transported to an altitude of 340 kilometres by two rocket stages. After leaving the atmosphere, the scramjet will separate from the launcher, and control rudders will stabilise it for the return journey. During the return flight, the vehicle will be accelerated to Mach 8 – about 8600 kilometres per hour. The important part of the experiment for the scientists takes place at an altitude of between 27 and 32 kilometres.
