By Attila Nagy
The European Space Agency is about to launch its unmanned experimental spacecraft on February 11, from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. What you see above is that craft—the IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle)—being fueled with hydrazine maneuvering propellant in the S5B hall of the Spaceport’s large S5 payload preparation facility. It’s like a scene from 2001.
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