ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hermes (spaceplane)

Hermes is a special kind of airplane that can fly really high up in the sky and even travel into space! It looks kind of like a regular airplane, but it has special engines and technology that allow it to go much higher than a regular plane.

Now, when you go on a plane ride, you usually go up into the sky and then come back down to the ground. Hermes is different because it can keep going up and up until it reaches space. It's like climbing up a really tall mountain, but instead of stopping at the top, you keep going up and up until you're in outer space.

When Hermes is up in space, it can float around and do lots of cool experiments and research. Scientists and astronauts can use Hermes to learn more about space and the world around us.

But just like with regular airplanes, Hermes needs to come back down to the ground eventually. When it's time to come back down, Hermes has special shields that protect it from the heat and friction of re-entering Earth's atmosphere. These shields help it to land safely back on the ground.

Overall, Hermes is a special kind of airplane that can fly really high up in the sky and even go into space. It's used for science and research and has special shields to protect it when it comes back down to Earth.