Objectives
10 years after this first succesful flight,
it is my pleasure as chairman of the
Atmospheric Reentry Association to
invite you to participate to the:
2nd International ARA Days “10 years after ARD”
that will be held 21-23 October, 2008 in the sunny town of Arcachon, France. Mitigated programmes evolutions have occured in Europe since ARD first and unique flight.
European efforts towards a Crew Transfer Vehicle, being a capsule or X-38 derived lifting body, have ceased. German Astra and Phoenix programmes were not followed. Many demonstration proposals and roadmaps were made by industrialists and poorly followed.
However, atmospheric reentry as a discipline remains very present in 2008. Being non exhaustive, we might mention that reentry is at the heart of US return to Moon initiative, with the developement of the ORION capsule. It is still present for LEO logistics, as COTS initiative shows. It is a determining discipline for international cooperation, with a possible SRR of russoeuropean CSTS mid 08. China is mastering manned flight and continuing its ambitious endeavour. Japan and India are on track. And mastering reentry remains a key for planetary exploration. 2008, we have applauded a successful reentry and retro rocketed Martian soft landing of the US Phoenix probe. In 2008, we will contemplate the progress of European Exomars project. We are also looking forward to positive decisions on the European demonstrator IXV, with a successful SRR leading to a 2012 flight. We will be interested in the development of the Italian USV programme, the German Shefex programme, and ESA preliminary demonstrators (Expert, ...).
Some weeks prior to the ESA Council at Ministerial level, the conference will gather delegates from all the community: national and supra-national agencies, customers and decision makers, prime industrialists and subcontractors, engineers, technologists and scientists, european and non-european. Outstanding papers will be presented in plenary and parallel sessions, but time will be also reserved for networking and always fruitful exchanges.
I am looking forward to meeting you again for 3 outstanding days in Arcachon, with in addition this year a friendly celebration of ARD anniversary !
Thierry Leveugle President, the Atmospheric Reentry Association Vice-President, Astrium Space Transportation