Invictus, ESA's hypersonic spaceplane project, is underway.

' Invictus ', the European Space Agency's research programme, has begun. The aim is to develop an experimental aerospace vehicle capable of flying at Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound ). The horizontal-takeoff and fully reusable vehicle will represent a breakthrough for mobility, defence, and even access to space, as ESA notes in a statement. The programme is being conducted by a consortium led by the British company Frazer-Nash and is co-funded through ESA's General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) and Technology Development Element (TDE). The vehicle will be an experimental platform that will allow industry, agencies, and academia to test key technologies for sustained hypersonic flight in the atmosphere . It will also be upgradeable, allowing the exchange of materials, software, and propulsion systems between flight test campaigns. "The Invictus programme will demonstrate the suitability of a hydrogen -fueled pre-cooled air propulsion system for horizontal take-off and hypersonic flight," notes ESA's David Perigo, the programme's technical manager. "It will provide a valuable opportunity to test the entire engine flow path , from intake to afterburner, at full scale in an integrated aircraft." " Hypersonic flight is not only the new frontier of aerospace , but also the gateway to a new paradigm of mobility , defense , and access to space ," emphasizes Tommaso Ghidini, head of ESA's Mechanical Engineering Department. "With Invictus, Europe is seizing the opportunity to lead in technologies that will redefine the way we move across the planet and beyond. By mastering reusable air propulsion, we are laying the foundation for aircraft that take off like airplanes and reach orbit like rockets, revolutionizing both ground and orbital transportation. This is where dual-use innovation meets strategic autonomy."