U222

The U222 is a hybrid space/high altitude plane built by RF Aerospace. It is primarily used for reconnaissance and data gathering on newly discovered planets that do not yet have an installed satellite network.

It is capable of atmospheric reentry by compensating orbital velocities using its thrusters and thereby avoiding reentry heat. It cannot survive a conventional atmospheric reentry.

Specs
Wingspan: 18.1m Length: 17.3m Height: 4.6m

Keto crash
During a routine mission scouting the exoplanet Keto, a U222 was lost and its pilot presumably killed when it failed to completely compensate orbital velocity during atmospheric entry. Unknown to the monitoring crew of its mothership, she survived the reentry and could bail out at high altitude, safely reaching the planets surface with her parachute.