Herholz_2006abstr
Copyright
© 2006 by JŸrgen Herholz. Published by The Mars Society
with permission
EUROPEAN SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (STS) PROJECTS
SINCE 1985
JŸrgen Herholz
Abstract
In the years
from 1985 onwards several manned and unmanned space transportation systems have
been planned in Western Europe, some of them under leadership of ESA, the
European Space Agency, others as national undertakings. Objectives were,
besides the launch of commercial payloads, the visit and re-supply of space
infrastructure elements such as the space stations Mir and Freedom (later ISS)
as well as envisaged European systems such as a polar platform, a data relay
satellite called DRS and a Free-Flyer laboratory called Man Tended Free-flyer
or MTFF.
The systems
described include
- HOTOL, a
single stage horizontal take-off and landing vehicles
- HERMES, a
horizontal entry and landing vehicle launched on top of the ARIANE 5 launcher
- SAENGER, a
two stage horizontal take-off and landing vehicle
using a modified HERMES as second stage
- ARD, a
capsule type re-entry vehicle launched by ARIANE 5 - ATV, an automated
transport launched by ARIANE 5.
The HOTOL,
HERMES and SAENGER projects were all three abandoned along with the envisaged
European infrastructure elements mentioned above in favor of the presently
defined contributions of Europe to the ISS, which are COLUMBUS and the ATV. HERMES
was abandoned in an advanced definition and pre-development status in 1992, but
continues as technology program up to 1997, providing Europe a number of
technological advances and experiences, and leading subsequently to a European
participation in the study of new manned transportation systems such as the
CTV, X-38 and CLIPPER.
The author, Dipl.Ing. JŸrgen Herholz, was from 1987 to 1997 Development Manager and Deputy Project Manager of the HERMES project in Toulouse, France. He is member of the Mars Society Deutschland and the Mars Society USA.