European Spaceplane VORTEX Confirmed for Crewed Flight: 2031 Hinges on Heat Shield

Dassault Aviation and OHB have confirmed that their European reusable spaceplane program, VORTEX, will culminate in a crewed vehicle—targeted for 2031—provided a decisive heat-shield test is completed first. At a Paris briefing on September 15, OHB officials said the 2028 hypersonic reentry test is the key gate for proving the vehicle can survive reentry without costly, extensive maintenance. VORTEX is designed to launch on an Ariane 6 rocket, fly orbital missions, and return for runway landing. The program follows scaled demonstrators to VORTEX-M, a 12-meter-long craft with a 7-meter wingspan, and will be supported by French government backing pledged on September 10.