ESA's Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD), to be launched aboard the third Ariane-5 flight (Ar-503), in 1998, is a major step towards developing a European return-to-Earth capability. The 2.8 t, 2.80 m-diameter unmanned Apollo-shape capsule is sized according to Ariane-5's dual-launch performance. Some 200 sensors will monitor aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, thermal protection and reentry blackout conditions. Ariane-5 will inject ARD into a suborbital trajectory peaking at 830 km altitude for splashdown and recovery in the Pacific Ocean after a 100 min flight. [Image Date: 1998/05] [98.06.009-007]