The European Space Agency’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle, as its called blasted off from its launchpad in French Guiana. <br /><br /> Its flight path was closely monitored at the European Space Agency’s mission control in Torino.<br /><br /> A variety of materials from high-tech carbon fibre to ordinary cork were tested to shield the wingless craft during re-entry after it had soared to an altitude of 413 kilometres and descended at speeds of up to 27,000 kilometres an hour, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.<br /><br /> Euronews correspondent, Jeremy Wilkes in Italy says: “The atmosphere in the control room is now relaxed and happy. The data has come down from the IXV spacecraft, the mission was a huge success and that’s going to feed all kinds of new types of space missions, spacecrafts in the future over the next 20 years”.
