lanceur récupérable

CONT: Cinq navettes furent construites [...] pour remplacer Challenger [...] Au départ ce devait être un lanceur récupérable. Mais les coûts exorbitants obligèrent les responsables à le transformer en un lanceur semi-récupérable. Le gros réservoir est devenu un élément ordinaire. Seuls l'orbiteur et les propulseurs auxiliaires sont récupérés.

CONT: ... a recoverable launcher can reliably approach an orbiting platform such as the space station and safely attach to it.
CONT: As part of its work on the next recoverable launcher, NASA has successfully hot-fire tested electromechanical actuator technology. Electro-mechanical actuators electronically regulate the propellant (fuel and oxidiser) flow in the engine. The new technology is a potential improvement to the older pneumatic and hydraulic-fluid systems currently used by the aerospace industry to drive and control critical rocket engine valves.