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PARIS – Europe should be investing in disruptive capabilities like spaceplanes, said Maj. Gen. Philippe Koffi, French armament agency DGA strategic lead for air, land and naval combat.
“A spaceplane is maneuverable, reusable and flexible, so it can deliver payload in orbit, recover critical assets, conduct reconnaissance and intervene against threats in orbit,” Koffi said Sept. 17 at the Space Defense & Security Summit here.
At the Paris Air Show in June, Dassault Aviation announced an agreement with DGA to develop VORTEX, a four-meter-long spaceplane demonstrator with a mass of less than one metric ton. A first flight is expected in 2028.
VORTEX, which stands for reusable orbital vehicle designed for transport and exploration, will launch on a small rocket, reach hypersonic speeds, perform atmospheric reentry and validate key technologies including thermal protection systems, Koffi said.
Through VORTEX, France is not seeking its own fleet of spaceplanes. The program is aimed at demonstrating technical viability through a public-private partnership. Dassault and other industrial partners will cover half of program costs.
Versatility
Still, spaceplanes have key military applications because they “could deploy satellites, sensors and even weapons in orbit within hours or days and not months,” Koffi said. In addition, spaceplanes are versatile, offering “rapid transportation, spacecraft servicing and even recovery of critical assets.”
In addition, spaceplanes are unpredictable, Koffi said, providing “global reach within less than 90 minutes, adding uncertainty for any adversary and even deterrence.”
Koffi sees spaceplanes are “a logical extension” of France’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). FCAS is a system of systems that includes a piloted next-generation fighter and swarming drones linked by cloud-computing architecture.
To achieve air superiority, it is essential “to detect, intercept and to act against threats evolving in near space,” at altitudes of 20 to 100 kilometers, Koffi said. “Within that broader framework, the Vortex spaceplane can be the missing link.”
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