It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hopper (spacecraft). (Discuss)

Phoenix was the prototype of Hopper, a proposed unmanned European reusable launch vehicle. (Phoenix was, besides Penelope and Ariane, originally suggested for the name of Ariane rocket family). Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Hopper is a proposed European Space Agency orbital craft. ... Hopper is a proposed European Space Agency orbital craft. ... The phoenix from the Aberdeen Bestiary. ... The Vatican Penelope: a Roman marble copy of an Early Classical 6th-century Greek work (Vatican Museums) For other uses, see Penelope (disambiguation). ... The Ariane Family The name Ariane refers to a series of a civilian European expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. ... The Ariane Family The name Ariane refers to a series of a civilian European expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. ...

Hopper, for which Phoenix is a prototype, was a proposed design, to be more economical than today's space vehicles and even reliable enough for manned space operations. In the first few decades of the 21st century, it might have been the first independent manned European non-military attempt at space operations and could have been an important part of the ISS project. (Compare Vostok 1.) The project appears to have been canceled like the proposed European shuttle, Hermes. The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility currently being assembled in space. ... Vostok 1 was the first manned space mission. ... Artists impression of the Hermes Shuttle A cutaway view of the Hermes Shuttle Hermes was a proposed mini-shuttle designed by the European Space Agency which was superficially similar to the US X-20. ...

Phoenix is part of the German national program ASTRA, a €40 million project founded by the German Federal Government, EADS Astrium Space Transportation and the State of Bremen with one third each. Both EADS and the State of Bremen have already invested another €8.2 million respective €4.3 million out of their own funds. Another contribution of €16 million comes from partner companies such as the Bremen-based OHB-System, DLR and the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. // Astra may refer to: Astra (Marvel), Marvel comics character Astra missile, under development by India Astra (album), a 1985 album by Asia Astra (manga), by Jerry Robinson. ... Politics of Germany takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Federal Chancellor is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ... The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (official name in German: Freie Hansestadt Bremen) is the smallest of Germanys 16 Federal States (Bundesländer). ... This article is about the city in Germany. ... OHB-System is a medium-sized spaceflight company located in Bremen, Northern Germany, which belongs to the OHB-Technology AG. OHB-System is a systems provider in the areas of telematics, space technology, security and satellite services. ... DLR Helicopter The German Aerospace Center (DLR) (German: ) is the national research center for aviation and space flight of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Space Agency. ...

EADS is responsible for the project management and for the entire software equipment of the system. Other partner companies are also involved in the development.

The Phoenix RLV prototype is 6.9 meters long (23 ft), has a weight of 1,200 kilograms (2,640 lb), and a wingspan of 3.9 meters (13 ft). The prototype, at one sixth the size of the planned vehicle, is still in the alpha stage of development at Bremen labs of EADS. This article is about the city in Germany. ...

On Saturday 8 May 2004, the prototype was dropped from 2.4 kilometers (8,000 ft) by a helicopter and landed precisely and without incident after a GPS-guided 90 second glide. The test was conducted at the North European Aerospace Test range in Kiruna, 1,240 km (770 miles) north of Stockholm, Sweden. Future tests will involve drops from higher altitude, possibly from a balloon. is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ... The North European Aerospace Test range (NEAT) is a co-operation by the private Swedish Space Corporation and the authority Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. ... Nickname: Location of Stockholm in northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Sweden Municipality Stockholm Municipality County Stockholm Province Södermanland and Uppland Charter 13th century Government  - Mayor Kristina Axén Olin (m) Population (March 2007)  - City 786,509  - Density 4,160/km² (10,774. ...

The primary aim of the test was to assess the glider potential of the craft. The final version of the vehicle must be able to glide from an altitude of 129 kilometers (80 miles). Gliders or Sailplanes are heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight. ...