This timelapse video shows ESA's IXV spaceplane, from final preparations to liftoff on a Vega rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 11 February 2015.<br /><br />Once sealed, IXV was encapsulated in Vega's protective fairing and transferred to the mobile gantry for integration with Vega. The mobile gantry was rolled back for liftoff at 13:40 GMT (14:40 CET, 10:40 local time).<br /><br />IXV separated from Vega at an altitude of 340 km and continued up to 412 km. Reentering from this suborbital path, it recorded a vast amount of data from more than 300 advanced and conventional sensors.<br /><br />As it descended, the five-metre-long, two-tonne craft manoeuvred to decelerate from hypersonic to supersonic speed. The entry speed of 7.5 km/s at an altitude of 120 km created the same conditions as those for a vehicle returning from low orbit.<br /><br />IXV glided through the atmosphere before parachutes deployed to slow the descent further for a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.<br /><br />IXV’s fully controlled reentry from orbital velocity and altitude represents an important first for Europe and consolidates the knowledge necessary for the development of any future European reentry system.<br /><br />More about IXV: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/IXV<br />Connect with IXV on Twitter: twitter.com/esa_ixv<br /><br />Credits:<br />Directed by Stephane Corvaja, ESA and Manuel Pedoussaut, Zetapress<br />Music: Hubrid-The Deep
