Aries Crew Transfer Vehicle

Aries Crew Transfer Vehicle
Aries M4 Aries (CTV-1) after refit following OM-6
Type	Reusable SSTO crew and cargo carrier
Owner	Federal Spatial Advancement Administration
Manufacturer	Laurein Aerospace
Specifications
Dry mass	328,800lbs
Launch mass	528,426lbs (full fuel, no payload)
Communication	test
Rocket	Turboramjet and SABRE engines
Instruments
_
History
First flight	February 24 2020 CTV-OM1
Fate	Active service, 5 built

The Aries Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV) is a class of Meridonian fully-reusable, Single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes operated primarily by the Federal Spatial Advancement Administration, with a single model operated by the Meridon Air Forces for clandestine missions. Its program and official name, the Crew Transfer Vehicle, is indicative of its purpose primarily as a low orbital transfer vehicle, however it is capable of small payload deliveries to low orbit.

Design and development for what would become the Aries and the Hercules Shuttle Cargo Transport Orbiter began in the early 1980s as a proof of concept by independent researcher Levi Pelesa, and later his wife, Ashley. Both hired by Laurein Aerospace's Space Launch division in 1985 as engineers, Laurein pitched the concept to the FSAA in 1986 as a radical solution following the impending retirement of the Whiteflash series of launch vehicles for human spaceflight, proposing radically reduced costs per launch, higher flight availability, and the ability to operate using reduced infrastructural costs. The project was one of the most expensive government-funded projects in the history of Meridon, with development costs- particularly for the engine systems, which ran in excess of one trillion dollars over its lifespan in total and required the involvement of Marquesan assistance in development. Conducting atmospheric and ground test flights and operations throughout the mid to late 2010s, the first development shuttle, Aries, conducted a suborbital and then orbital flight in 2019.

Aries shuttles, alongside the Hercules cargo transports, form the backbone of Meridonian space exploration capability. Five have been built, with four in active service with the FSAA. A fifth was purpose-built for the Meridon Air Forces and is being used for sensitive launches and mission profiles, with details of its launches kept scant.

Operational history

Vessel name	Identification number	Badge	First Mission	Status
Aries	CTV-1		CTV-OTM1 01 July 2019	Active service
Millenium	CTV-2		CTV-OM3 02 September 2021	Active service
Trinity	CTV-3		CTV-OM7 01 April 2022	Active service
Abydos	CTV-4		Awaiting first launch	Active service
Vantablack	EOV-001		Unknown	Active service with the Meridon Air Forces

Systems

SABRE engine

The Selectively Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) is a dual-function rocket engine capable of using both atmospheric air in a precooled afterburning turbojet engine, and liquid oxygen in a closed-cycle traditional rocket engine.