Icarus 5

Icarus 5 is a fully reusable two-stage-to-orbit heavy-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by Nova Aerospace in 2022 shortly before the production of the Olympus. Both the first and second staged by newly developed Vortex 1 engines, using cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants.

Icarus 5 is 75 m high and 8 m in diameter. Icarus 5 also acted as a test bed for the new Minerva 3D Printer which was later used for 3D printing the Olympus, Icarus 5 is printed using Aluminum-Lithium Alloys and Carbon Fiber.

Icarus 5's second stage reusability was improved upon from Icarus 7, Icarus 5 now uses smaller pods with twelve descent engines which provide more thrust combined while being smaller and lighter, the descent engines also use up leftover fuel instead of carrying their own fuel and oxidizer tank. Instead of a Carbon-Carbon Composite Heat Shield protected by an expendable cover Icarus 5 uses an inflatable Heat Shield which is much lighter than rigid heat shields. The landing legs are also now placed on the sides instead of directly inside the second stage, this allows more room for fuel.

With the progression of smaller, more compact satellites, Icarus 5 is thinner than the Icarus 7 making it more efficient and cheaper for launching satellites, however, still maintained a relatively large size for launching space station and interplanetary base modules.

The first stage booster is designed in a way that it would stay orientated as intended during descent and touchdown without input from fins or cold gas thrusters, this increases reliability and lowers the chances of a rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD).