Europe’s experimental autonomous space ferry IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) is ready for launch.

The spacecraft is expected to launch on 11 February, aboard a Vega rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The vehicle is about the size of an average car and weighs almost two tons. The Vega launcher will take the spacecraft up to about 320 kilometers and after separation, the IXV will climb to 450 kilometers before returning to Earth.

After re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, a parachute will open to allow the spacecraft to land safely. The entire mission is expected to take 1 hour and 40 minutes.

The operation is an opportunity for the European Space Agency to test technologies for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and for the autonomous return of the spacecraft to earth.

An autonomous spacecraft would enable researchers to explore and study the upper atmosphere, participate in maintenance and service missions for satellites and the International Space Station as well as transporting rock samples from other planets back to Earth.

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