Lay-out of a re-usable re-entry vehicle required in a future European low earth orbit scenario

The design concept of a reusable unmanned semiballistic-reentry spacecraft to provide raw materials and return processed materials from a European automated space production facility in LEO is presented and illustrated with drawings, diagrams, graphs, and tables of parameters. A typical mission scenario includes Ariane launch; rendezvous and docking for sample exchange; center-of-mass trimming by adjustment of the load after dedocking; updating of inertial systems; deorbiting to a ballistic arc by means of four 400-N thrusters; atmospheric flight from 100-km altitude at path angle 4 deg, lift/drag ratio 0.2, and maximum deceleration 5 g; and final deceleration and landing using three-stage drogue and main-parachutes, an air-bag system, and landing gears.