Japan's 'Space Shuttle' UAV: Successful Flight | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-12.01.25

AirborneNextGen-
12.02.25

Airborne-Unlimited-12.03.25

Airborne-FltTraining-12.04.25

AirborneUnlimited-12.05.25

AFE 2025 LIVE MOSAIC Town Hall (Archived): www.airborne-live.net

Tue, Nov 19, 2002

Japan's 'Space Shuttle' UAV: Successful Flight

Third Flight for Little Shuttle

It's just a scale model, and it weighs just 1600 pounds, but Japan's own reusable space vehicle is another step closer to reality because of it.

Looking like a squat Space Shuttle, the NASDA craft was propelled to 16,500 feet by an integral jet engine over the Pacific, on Christmas Island, Republic of Kiribati.

The power was chopped, and the 10-foot-wingspan UAV descended, making a successful landing, after eighteen minutes of flight.

The white machine, carrying the catch monicker "HSFD [High Speed Flight Demonstration] Vehicle #1," will eventually be scaled up to be a working, 20-ton, "real" shuttle.

This was the third flight of the small machine. Its actual scale is roughly 1:4, compared to the planned true space vehicle.

It is designed to portend a reusable, unmanned craft that could haul supplies or satellites into space, and return with garbage, scientific samples, or even, empty.

FMI: www.nasda.go.jp/projects/rockets/hsfd/index_e.html

Advertisement

More News

Aero-FAQ: Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories -- ITBOA BNITBOB

Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Rutan Long-EZ

The Pilot Attempted Several Times To Restart The Engine And Diverted To Long Beach Airport/Daughtery Field On October 20, 2025, about 1603 Pacific daylight time, an experimental am>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (12.05.25): Hazardous Weather Information

Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (12.05.25)

"The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia’s commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy..." Source: From statements made by >[...]

Airborne-Flight Training 12.04.25: Ldg Fee Danger, Av Mental Health, PC-7 MKX

Also: IAE Acquires Diamond Trainers, Army Drones, FedEx Pilots Warning, DA62 MPP To Dresden Tech Uni The danger to the flight training industry and our future pilots is clear. Dona>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC