Russian winged orbital launch vehicle. NPO Molniya, Antonov, and
TsAGI proposed a spaceplane demonstrator project to the European
Space Agency in 1993-1994 under the RADEM project. This would be
a scaled-back version of the cancelled MAKS spaceplane using
existing rocket engines. An unmanned prototype of the MAKS would
be fitted out with RD-120 Lox/Kerosene engines. Launched from
atop the An-225, the MAKS-D would reach an altitude of 80 to 90
km and a speed of Mach 14 to 15. The ES experimental spacecraft
would have a launch mass of 56 metric tons, including 45 metric
tons of propellant. It would fly at hypersonic speed out to a
range of 1500 km, and then return to an automatic landing at its
launching base. Three variants were proposed: - Basic variant.
Purpose of the flight tests would be to prove MAKS-M / I-HOTOL
flight algorithms, materials, and engine reusability. 38.0 m
length x 24.0 m wingspan - Basic variant modified for scramjet
flight tests - Orbital vehicle with 2 metric tons payload. For
the orbit