The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully tested its IXV spaceplane, gathering valuable data for the construction of a future spacecraft capable of ferrying cargo and people between the Earth and orbiting spacecraft.

The unmanned Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) launched above a Vega rocket from ESA's Kourou spaceport in French Guiana flew east around the globe and gathered information on how space objects fall to Earth.

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The five meter-long, two-ton vehicle rose to an altitude of around 413 kilometers (257 miles) before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean to cheers from the mission control room in Turin, Italy.

Engineers will use the data in a range of future technologies, from re-usable rockets to Mars landers. ESA's IXV mission tested cutting-edge system and technology aspects. It will provide Europe an independent re-entry capability and a building block for reusable space transportation systems.

The IXV mission will validate designs for lifting-bodies, incorporating both the simplicity of capsules and the performance of winged vehicles with high controllability and maneuverability for precision landing.

IXV is a compromise between a shuttle and an Apollo-like capsule. The IXV, a one-off prototype that cost 150 million euros (US$170 million), used parachutes to land safely in the Pacific. But a future model based on its design could land at an airfield.

ESA has plans for a reusable spacecraft called PRIDE, but this project hasn't been approved yet.

The initial results from the IXV flight are expected to be released around six weeks later.

The results will feed the Programme for Reusable In-Orbit Demonstrator for Europe, or Pride, which is being studied under funding decided at ESA's last two ministerial councils.

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