Hope-X high speed flight demonstration program phase I

The "High Speed Flight Demonstration (HSFD)" is a flight experiment research program using scale test vehicles and is part of joint research program between the NAL/NASDA research supporting the HOPE-X unmanned reentry space vehicle project. The HSFD program consists of two phases, Phase I and Phase II. The Phase I vehicle flight envelope is subsonic region and the Phase II is transonic region. The objectives of Phase I program are following. 1) Verification of the landing system for future space transportation A) Confirmation of the performance of guidance and navigation system from the last part of the terminal area energy management phase to approach and landing B) Verification of the command/telemetry system between on-board and ground facilities 2) Accumulation of the autonomous flight technology A) Establishing of the fully autonomous flight (including autonomous landing) design technology A jet engine powered experimental vehicle will take off horizontally and fly along the HOPE-X trajectory around the landing site from the last part of the terminal area energy management phase to touch down. The vehicle will fly automatically using the hybrid navigation system and has a similar configuration to a 25% scale of the HOPE-X vehicle. The Phase I flight experiment will be conducted at Kiritimati (Christmas) Island in the Pacific Ocean, which is planned for the HOPE-X Landing site. This paper overviews the HOPE-X HSFD Phase I program and it discusses its objectives, methods, and anticipated results.