Incredible plans for giant DOUGHNUT-shaped spacecraft to float precious cargo back to Earth as it completes test mission
AN INCREDIBLE doughnut-shape spacecraft designed to fly precious cargo back to Earth has completed its first test mission.
Atmos Space Cargo been hailed their daring mission a "success" after the dessert-shaped spaceship splashed down about 2,000 kilometres off the coast of Brazil.
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An incredible doughnut-shaped spaceship has been hailed a success
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
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Atmos Space Cargo's design is made to float back materials to Earth
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
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It splashed down about 2,000 kilometres off the coast of Brazil
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
The German startup's Phoenix vehicle was launched by SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission April 21.
And the firm claimed it gathered a wide range of data from the first flight test of its
Sebastian Klaus, chief executive of Atmos, said that the space mission had three main targets.
Firstly, they aimed to collect data from the
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Secondly, they wanted to operate and return data from payloads in the spacecraft.
And finally the firm aimed to collect data on the performance of the
They chief executive confirmed that they "got a lot of flight data", saying that all four of their payloads turned on and produced
He praised the mission as a "full success".
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But unfortunately for the German firm, the craft's heat shield analysis could not take place, due to an unexpected change in scheduling.
Nasa astronauts FINALLY splash down on Earth after nine hellish months stranded in space on International Space Station
Atmos had previously planned for a reentry in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, near the island of Réunion.
Klaus said the company spent six whole months preparing the area for reentry at this point.
This apparatus included ships to recover the
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But in an unfortunate change of plans - SpaceX informed Atmos of "operational constraints" just five weeks before the launch.
This completely changed the location of the upcoming splashdown, instead directing the spacecraft down towards the coast of
Brazil
.
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Simulations showed the doughnut inflating
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
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The Phoenix vehicle flew as one of the payloads on SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission April 21
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
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The firm had to adjust to a change in splashdown location
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
The company then had to line up new ground stations in South America to communicate with the spacecraft during key phases of flight.
It also had to charter a plane to attempt to collect data during reentry.
But the splashdown location ended up being way beyond
the range
of the aircraft.
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The extra distance, along with cloud cover, prevented the Atmos from getting useful imagery of the doughnut-ship's reentry.
Klaus therefore said Atmos considered that third target 'partly successful'.
He added that it would be "very difficult" to get data from Phoenix.
But the defiant boss said that the data it did collect would help the firm with its second Phoenix reentry vehicle, which it plans to test next year.
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"It would be much better to have more data on the critical last phase of the flight," Klaus said.
"But then on the other side, there's a lot we have learned about all other systems and operational aspects."
He concluded that the whole operation was a "very successful mission".
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A simulation showed how the spaceship would work
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
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They firm called it a success despite limited data on how it performed during reentry
Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
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