Ariane 6 launches: splashdown for Nyx Bikini

Europe’s newest rocket is about to take off, taking with it many space missions, each with a unique goal, destination and team at home to cheer them on. Whether we’re launching new satellites to look back and study Earth, peer into deep space, or test important new technologies in orbit, Ariane 6’s maiden flight will showcase the versatility and flexibility of this impressive heavy-lift launch vehicle. Read all about Nyx Bikini and then see who else flies first.

The Exploration Company’s Nyx Bikini, just after being selected for Europe’s International Space Station cargo initiative, intends to perform a ballistic reentry demonstration.

Nyx Bikini is a 60 cm diameter technology demonstrator – about the size of a large lampshade – that will allow Exploration to obtain the first atmospheric return data and calibrate its mathematical models.

At the end of the Ariane 6 mission, the upper stage of the new European rocket will fly around the Earth at a speed of about 28,800 km/h. Minutes before the upper stage is sent for fiery and safe disposal into Earth’s atmosphere, the Nyx Bikinis separate to fall to Earth as well.

Unlike Ariane 6’s upper stage, the Nyx Bikini was designed to survive the intense heat generated on reentry – up to 2100°C.

Developed in just nine months and at a cost of under €2 million, the Nyx Bikini exemplifies the new European space sector.

Hélène Huby, CEO of The Exploration Company, explains: “From an industrial perspective, building Nyx Bikini in just nine months from sketch to qualification allowed us as a start-up to prove ourselves as partners in the supply chain, prove our development and production. processes and shows that we can build spacecraft quickly and at a fraction of the cost – while accepting the risks.

Some of the hardware in the reentry capsule is not designed for space, such as the avionics hardware—the “brain” of the spacecraft—was taken from the drone industry and is not qualified to withstand the radiation it may receive in space. Since the Nyx Bikini mission will last only three hours, the risk of serious failure is low, and using proven hardware for Earth is a way to reduce cost and build time.

Another example is how Nyx Bikini calls home during her descent into the Pacific Ocean: she will use a standard satellite phone. Simulations show it should work, but the phone terminal was not—unsurprisingly—designed for use from inside a returning spacecraft.

The Bikini is an uncontrolled case, so to prevent it from falling and re-entering with the heat shield backwards, the three flaps force the Bikini to return with the heat shield forward. This technical solution carries more risk, but is cheaper than expensive and complicated nozzles.

“If one of these risks materializes, we will not collect any data and our mission will fail,” explains Hélène, “but we will gather unique insights about our technical capabilities, our industrial processes, our supply chain partners, and the legal and technical path to securing a reentry license. “

Hélène continues: “This mission is the first step that paves the way for a European reusable space capsule. We get countless messages from people from different backgrounds and countries in Europe thanking us for inspiring them because our company embodies that Europe can be bold and pioneer technology for the benefit of the world.”

“This first Ariane 6 launch will be a special time for all of us at The Exploration Company, as we will also be flying into space for the first time. Our team will experience it together and our emotions will be intense,” says Hélène, “No matter how the mission turns out, I am grateful for the tireless work of our team and our partners, who all contributed to the creation and qualification of our bikinis. capsules at an unprecedentedly high speed and low cost. It also means that we have accepted some risks of mission failure. It reflects our DNA: for our first missions, we prioritize learning quickly and iterating (which means more risk, but also learning faster) over building the perfect capsule.”

And the name?

“The name was chosen as a joke because the capsule could be almost ‘naked’ when sprayed, and bikini swimwear, when it was invented in the 1960s, was quite innovative,” concludes Helene.