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| The launch of the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) experimental re-entry vehicle |
ASHBURN, Va. – February 11, 2015 – Curtiss-Wright Corporation’s (NYSE: CW) Defense Solutions division extends its congratulations to the European Space Agency (ESA) on today’s historic first launch and retrieval of the Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), its experimental re-entry vehicle. In order to test re-entry technologies for future spacecraft, the IXV was launched into a suborbital path by a Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Curtiss-Wright, as a valued partner to Alenia Aermacchi S.p.A on the IXV program for over five years, supplied the IXV program with its rugged data handling and telemetry subsystem technology. Curtiss-Wright’s Dublin-based operation provided data acquisition, networking and recording subsystems that were installed on the IXV spacecraft to acquire sensor data throughout the duration of the mission.
“We congratulate the European Space Agency on the achievement of this important milestone in the development of future re-usable spacecraft,” said Lynn Bamford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Defense Solutions. “The IXV mission represents a significant presence in space vehicle programs for Curtiss-Wright, and we are proud to partner with the ESA to provide the rugged avionics subsystems on its historic mission.”
The IXV program is the ‘intermediate’ segment of the ESA’s requirement to develop and flight test the technologies and critical systems required to autonomously return future missions from low earth orbit.
Curtiss-Wright, with support from Enterprise Ireland, develops and manufactures the data handling and telemetry units for the IXV at its facilities in Dublin, Ireland.
For more information on Curtiss-Wright’s experience in space programs, please visit www.curtisswrightds.com/space.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE:CW) is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.