Illustration of the Phoenix prototype spaceplane and reusable launch vehicle (RLV). This design was a German proposal for the European Space Agency's (ESA) hopper vehicle. Phoenix was 6.9 metres in length with a 3.9 meter wingspan. Construction of a one-seventh scale model of the vehicle started in 2000 and drop tests to asses the gliding capabilities of the craft were carried out in March 2004. No further tests were carried out and the project is believed to be cancelled.