Manned Spaceship Highlights the Berlin Air Show
A crewed spaceship designed by EADS Astrium was the highlight of the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin.
Based on the unmanned “Jules Verne” freighter, which was recently sent to the International Space Station, the crewed version is the logical evolution, Astrium said.
The craft could be launched as soon as the next decade, based on the initial support from governments in Germany, France and Italy.
The craft merges the idea of the avionics and propulsion end of Jules Verne ATV, with a compartment designed to carry a crew rather than cargo.
"From the outside, the overall shape is representative," explained Frank Pohlemann, the vice-president for strategy and market development at EADS Astrium Space Transportation.
"The interior is more PR-orientated. We have three leather benches in there; we have touch screens – we can show simulated flights on the monitors; but of course the accessible volume is a lot larger than the real vehicle, which would have lots of equipment, a docking port, and these kinds of things.”
Astrium says that it wants to change the perception of space travel through the new craft. This is best exhibited by the interior of the model, which boasted its flashy feel for ILA attendants.
Currently the method of travel for European Space Agency (Esa) astronauts into orbit is via a Russian Soyuz or an American shuttle.
Astrium has funded the latest concept work itself. It says the costs involved in developing its "ATV Evolution" would be very reasonable. It proposes the work be done in two stages.
The first stage consists of allowing the freighter to return non-human items to Earth safely. This could allow test results and failed components to be returned from the International Space Station once the U.S. shuttles are retired in 2010.
This step would cost “well below one billion euros” to achieve, Astrium said.
If ministers agreed, the re-entry freight capsule could then be upgraded to carry three astronauts in a second stage of development.
The maiden mission of a crewed capsule could come in perhaps 2017 and be “in the frame of a couple of billion” euros.
"By having flights of the cargo system first, you can already contribute to the qualification of the later crew version," said Pohlemann, the Astrium VP.
"For us, this is about opening up options. Instead of diving into studies and spending the next five or six years with no concrete development, what we propose is to do something now and open up options."
The company believes that given the success of both the ATV and the Columbus science module the progression of European competence in space technology in recent years should naturally lead to a manned craft.
The Ariane 5 is considered to be the most suitable option by Astrium.
"We believe you could take the existing Ariane-5 lower-composite and outfit it with a series of sensors to tell the vehicle riding on top that something might be going wrong or everything is fine," Mr Pohlemann said.
"We don’t have these sensors at the moment, but for the rest we think we can take the existing Ariane 5."
Astrium itself is part of a separate Esa-funded study that is looking at the possibility of developing a crew capability in tandem with the Russians.
The Crew Space Transportation System (CSTS) foresees a bigger, more capable ship than Russia’s existing Soyuz system. However, this is almost certainly a more expensive option because it would require the use of an entirely new rocket.
Esa boss Jean-Jacques Dordain has spoken frequently of his desire to see an independent system; and the US space agency (Nasa) chief, Mike Griffin, has also urged Europe to build its own crew carrier.
Speaking in March at the time of the launch of Jules Verne, Mr Griffin said Europe needed only to take a "small step" to have that capability.
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