European company is developing reusable rocket launcher
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028935
BBC : To help cut costs and be more competitive, European aerospace company Airbus is developing a reusable first-stage rocket system that can sprout wings and propellers and fly back to the runway. Unlike a similar project by American manufacturer SpaceX, Airbus’s Adeline system will save only the booster’s main engines, not the fuel tank. The new rocket design is modular, with the main engines and avionics located in a module at the base of the stack. After liftoff, once the propellant tanks are empty, the module would detach and fly like an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, back to base. The engines could then be reused up to 20 times. Still in development, Adeline won’t be ready until at least 2025–2030.
