The Italian Aerospace Research Centre (Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali - CIRA) is a consortium established in July 1984 to promote the growth and success of the aerospace industry in Italy (its head-office is in Capua). The majority of CIRA share capital is held by government organizations: the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the National Research Council of Italy (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - CNR).[1]

Spaceplane technology

CIRA is developing spaceplane technology using its facilities for numerical simulation and ground tests, and has flown its first transonic flight test of a "flying test-bed" (FTB) vehicle dropped from a high-altitude balloon.[2] CIRA intends to develop FTB vehicles by 2012 that can perform atmospheric reentry from low Earth orbit, launched using the Vega space launch system.[2][3] This is consistent with the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) plan of the European Space Agency.[4]

Since 2005, CIRA is a partner of the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC).

References

  1. ^ "General Information - CIRA". CIRA. Archived from the original on 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  2. ^ a b Tariq Malik (12 March 2007). "Italian Firm Hails Test of Unmanned Spacecraft Prototype". Space.com.
  3. ^ "USV Program". CIRA. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  4. ^ "European rocket research programs: USV, IXV, FLPP". HobbySpace. 2008-02-24. Archived from the original on 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2009-01-11.

41°07′16″N 14°10′50″E / 41.12111°N 14.18056°E / 41.12111; 14.18056


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