The European Union has a thriving space program, but it doesn't have a vehicle capable of putting a man in orbit. It might finally get one.
European aerospace consortium EADS Astrium unveiled a model of manned spacecraft it says could carry astronauts into space within 10 years. It would be a huge leap forward for a program that relies upon the aging space shuttle fleet or Russia's Soyuz to put people in orbit. Having its own manned vehicles is more than a point of pride for the Europeans. It's an issue of practicality. Hitching a ride with the Americans or Russians puts the European Space Agency at the mercy of those programs.
"When the shuttle fleet was grounded, we had to rely on our Russian partners to get astronauts to and from the International Space Station," ESA boss Jean-Jacques Dordain told Flight Daily News. "They did a marvelous job, but we are getting strong requests from ESA members that we need to have our own vehicle."
NASA also is urging the Europeans to develop a manned craft, and the ATV Evolution that EADS unveiled at the Berlin Air Show might be just the ticket.
Building a new spaceship - or "crew transportation system," to use the industry vernacular - is a huge undertaking, but it may not be as tough as it seems - or as expensive.
"Europe has the expertise to build it's own CTS," Dordain said. "We have anded on Saturn's moon Titan and successfully implemented automatic docking with the ATV. Of course we could do it."
Dordain is referring to the Automated Transfer Vehicle - better known as the Jules Verne - built by EADS. The unmanned vehicle docked with theInternational Space Station in April, bringing 7.5 tons of oxygen, food and other supplies to the crew. Chock full of sophisticated navigation and docking technology, the Jules Verne has got the goods but needs modifications before astronauts can take it for a spin.
The biggest problem is the Jules Verne can't return to earth. The ship is essentially a disposable resupply vehicle that that is shot out of orbit so that it burns up after a mission. Not something you look for in a spaceship carrying a crew of three. And that leads to the second issue: the ship's cargo must be retrofitted so that it is able carry astronauts.
It's a major project, but EADS is confident making the adjustments is no big deal. It'd be done in two stages.
First, they'd give the ATV a means of returning to Earth - which would be a boon for the European Space Agency, because it currently doesn't have any way of bringing things like the results of scientific experiments back home. EADS says it could have a returnable vehicle flying by 2013 at a cost "well below 1 billion euros," according to the BBC. Phase two calls for upgrading the ATV to carry three astronauts into space, a goal EADS says it could achieve by 2017 "in the frame of a couple of billion" euros.
Germany, France and Italy are said to be interested in the project, and it's sure to come up when European space ministers meet in The Hague in November. The timing for the project is good, and the motivation is there. With the space shuttle fleet slated to mothballed in 2010 and China planning its first space walk this fall, the Europeans have a chance to prove themselves as a major player in space.
Photos and artist's renderings by EADS Astrium.
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