Vortex
LE BOURGET–Here at the Paris Air Show, Dassault Aviation is exhibiting a small-scale model of the Vortex—a French acronym for orbital vehicle for transportation and exploration—a reusable spaceplane it is proposing for dual-use civil-military applications.
During a speech at the Paris Air Hub on June 20, French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the project as meaningful. “It comes with avant-garde possibilities for our defense,” he said. For Dassault, Macron’s support means France may fund a demonstration as part of a revision of its multiannual military budget. Or the government may contribute to a program under the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Such an opportunity may arise in November, at ESA’s next ministerial council. Dassault has long pursued a broad application of its skills in space technologies. It was involved in the design and aerothermodynamics of ESA’s IXV proof-of-concept spaceplane in 2015. But in 2019, the absence of French funding prevented Dassault from participating in the more ambitious Space Rider program, which targets in-orbit research and technology projects.
The Vortex will offer orbital atmospheric maneuverability and land on a runway, Dassault says. It will be designed for commercial, science and military missions. They will include transportation to orbital stations, use as a “free flyer” autonomous orbital platform, payload delivery, object retrieval and in-orbit servicing.
The company envisions a four-phase development approach. A one-third-scale demonstrator would precede a two-third-scale free flyer. Phase three would see a full-scale cargo in operations, before phase four’s crewed spacecraft.
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