Flight sequence diagram

Artist view of the ARD mission flight cycle.
ESA's Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD) was launched into space and then returned to Earth to test technologies required to safely guide a vehicle through the Earth's fiery atmosphere and back to Earth.
It was launched 21 October 1998, by an Ariane 5 launcher from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Once it had been injected into orbit, it began its descent, entering the upper atmosphere at a velocity of more than 27 000 km/h. Fifteen minutes later, it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. It was equipped with leading-edge technology that allowed its flight and landing to be performed with unequalled precision.