Aries Crew Transfer Vehicle

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Aries Crew Transfer Vehicle
upright=350px
Aries M4 Trinity (CTV-3) in LEO during OM-14.
TypeReusable SSTO crew and cargo carrier
OwnerFederal Spatial Advancement Administration
ManufacturerLaurein Aerospace
Specifications
Dry mass328,800lbs
Launch mass528,426lbs (full fuel, no payload)
Communicationtest
RocketTurboramjet and SABRE engines
Instruments
  • _
History
First flight
  • February 24 2020
  • CTV-OM1
FateActive 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 built as a mockup, static reference and for spare parts.

Design and Development

Operational history

Vessel name Identification number Badge First Mission Status
Aries CTV-1 Aries logo text.png CTV-OTM1
01 July 2019
Active service
Millenium CTV-2 Millenium logo text.png CTV-OM3
02 September 2021
Active service
Trinity CTV-3 Trinity logo text.png CTV-OM7
01 April 2022
Active service
Abydos CTV-4 Abydos logo text.png Awaiting first launch Active service

Mission profile

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.

Specifications