ReFEx: Reusability Flight Experiment A Flight Experiment to Demonstrate Controlled Aerodynamic Flight from Hypersonic to Subsonic Velocities with a Winged RLV

Abstract

The Reusability Flight Experiment (ReFEx) aims to demonstrate the technologies necessary for a winged reusable launch vehicle (RLV) in order to drastically reduce launch costs. In a winged RLV this can be done through aerodynamic means and tailored manoeuvres, requiring much less fuel than a propulsive boostback system. The main goal of ReFEx is to demonstrate controlled flight from hypersonic velocities down to subsonic velocities and doing so while maintaining a flight corridor representative of winged RLV. In the case of ReFEx this is equivalent to a low speed, early staging event.