Preparatory
European Space Exploration
Programme
“Aurora”
International Workshop on Creating New
and Sustainable Space Exploration
Session 3
by
Scott Hovland, Loredana Bessone
16-18 Nov 2004 European and
International Workshop on Creating New Space Agency -1-
Sustainable Space Exploration
Introduction
• The ESA Council at Ministerial Level, held in
Edinburgh in 2001, approved the Aurora
Programme as a means to:
• Increase knowledge
• Foster innovation
• Strengthen European identity
• Inspire the young generation
• Contribute to global societal security
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Mission Roadmap
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Sustainable Space Exploration
Changed Context
• On January 14, 2004 President George W. Bush
set a new space exploration agenda for the U.S.
and suggested that this should be done with
international participation.
– Induces changes on ISS Programme
– Provides new challenges for international co-operation
• Robotic and human exploration was taken up in
the EU with the suggestion to conduct a European
wide consultation on its final objectives.
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Revised Approach
In view of the changed context the Aurora Board of Participants
in consultation with the Exploration Programme Advisory
Committee (EPAC) authorised the following:
– Conduct wide consultation to confirm objectives and
requirements
– Analyse the exploration plans of other nations, especially the
one of the U.S. and find co-operation opportunities
– Elaborate exploration architecture, mission roadmap and
associated technology and research plans, building on the
Aurora approach
– Determine European priorities on the basis of agreed criteria to
be integrated into the Programme Proposal to MC in 2005
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Sustainable Space Exploration
Mission Studies
• ESA has and is conducting scenario analysis and mission
studies for several overall exploration architectures and
elements
– Mars Exploration
• Human
• Robotic
– Lunar Exploration
• Human
• Robotic
– Human and Cargo Space Transportation
• To Earth Orbit
• Planetary
• Earth Return
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Human Mission to Mars
•Parametric Studies with European industry (2002)
•ESA Case Study of
HMM and Modelling
(vehicle, system, unit
level) in the ESTEC
Concurrent Design
Facility (2003)
•Peer Reviews by
Russian Experts, by
European Industry and
CNES (2004)
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Sustainable Space Exploration
HSVG
Human Spaceflight Vision Group
• In 2003 ESA invited a group of
distinguished experts within both
space and non-space areas to
elaborate on a future vision for
European Human Spaceflight in
the period up to 2025
• Feasibility analysis has been
performed on this vision in the
ESTEC Concurrent Design
Facility
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Sustainable Space Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Giotto
Ulysses Cluster
(Comet)
(Sun) (Sun)
Soho Mars Express
(Sun) (Mars)
Rosetta (Comet)
Cassini- Smart-1
Huygens (Moon)
(Saturn/Titan)
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Sustainable Space Exploration
European ISS
Participation
Europe is contributing to the ISS with several major elements
which demonstrate the capabilities of European Industry
• The Columbus laboratory together with its Payload Facilities will
provide a world class facility for scientific research
• The Automated Transfer Vehicle ATV will provide significant up-
mass transportation to the ISS as well as refueling and reboost
capabilities
• The European Robotic Arm ERA will provide the Russian Segment
with a valuable robotic capability which is controllable both from
internal and external workstations
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Sustainable Space Exploration
European ISS
Participation
ATV
ATV
Columbus
HEXAPOD
MSG
Microgravity
Science Glovebox ERA
MELFI
Minus 80 Degree
Laboratory Freezer for ISS
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European ISS
Participation
• Europe has provided the Data Management System (DMS/R) for the
Russian Segment. It was launched in 2000 together with the Russian
Service Module Zvezda and has provided flawless operation so far
• The ISS Nodes 2 and 3 and the Cupola have been produced in Europe
for delivery to NASA
• The Italian Space Agency ASI has provided 3 MPLM modules
Leonardo, Raffaello and Donatello for pressurised cargo transportation
to the ISS with the Shuttle for which ESA has provided the Life
Support systems
• The European Atmospheric Re-entry Demonstrator ARD flew onboard
the first Ariane 5 launcher
• Europe participated in the NASA X-38 programme
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Sustainable Space Exploration
European ISS
Participation
DMS/R
Cupola
Nodes 2 & 3
Life Support System for MPLM
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Sustainable Space Exploration
Ariane V
Ariane 5 ECA
is designed to place payloads weighing up to 10 tonnes into geo-
stationary transfer orbit. With its increased capacity Ariane 5 ECA can
handle dual launches of larger satellites.
10 t to GTO.
Ariane 5 ES ATV
Ariane 5 Generic version of the has been
is used for launches into designed to place ESA's
geo-stationary transfer Automated Transfer
orbit, medium and low- Vehicle into a 300 km
Earth orbits and sun- circular low Earth orbit
synchronous orbits. inclined to 51.6˚.
6 t to GTO 21 t to LEO
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Soyuz from Kourou
• The preparations for launching the automated Soyuz
launcher from CSG in Kourou are progressing
• Implementation will not preclude future human Soyuz
flights from Kourou
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Operations
• Mission operations are conducted from ESA’s Mission
Operation Center ESOC (Darmstadt, Germany)
• Columbus will have a dedicated control center in Germany
• The ATV will have a dedicated control center in France
• ISS Medical operations, astronaut training is conducted at
ESA’s Astronaut Center EAC in Germany
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Sustainable Space Exploration
ISS Evolution
• Manned Spaceflight Studies, Technologies and Evolution
Preparation programme (STEP)
– Robotics
– Inflatable Re-entry & Descent Technology (IRDT)
– Air Revitalisation System (ARES)
– ATV Derived Vehicles
– Servicing and Repair via an automatic servicing vehicle
– Facility for very low microgravity
– Closed Loop Food System
– Long Term Habitability Ergonomics
– Optical Space Debris Sensor
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SpaceHaven
• ESA is working on the design and development of future
habitation modules for exploration utilising European
developments in advanced technologies and European
heritage
– Regenerative Advanced Life Support systems
– Inflatable structures
• All aspects of habitation (Life Support, Crew Systems,
Medical / Psychological Issues etc.) are being covered
• Current emphasis is on overall system design for
different exploration scenarios, technology tradeoffs and
demonstration
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Sustainable Space Exploration
Life & Physical
Sciences Program
ELIPS (European Life and Physical Sciences in Space)
Both fundamental and applied research are performed because they
are complementary
• Medicine:
– understanding of physiological de-conditioning mechanisms
– fine-tuning of countermeasure protocols during clinical trials
– validation of protocols on ISS using dedicated flight HW
• Biology:
– mainly plant biology in view of applying knowledge to biological life
support systems; microbial monitoring
• Exobiology and radiation dosimetry:
– using exposure facilities and human phantoms in order to understand
mechanisms and obtain baseline data in LEO
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Life & Physical
Sciences Program
• Materials research for lighter structures, higher performance
fuel cells, radiation shielding, thermal protection, in-situ repair,
brazing, welding or replacement processes
• Fluid science research in support of propulsion and life support
systems, heat management, waste disposal in supercritical fluid,
fire safety issues
• Advanced cold-atom based systems for navigation, positioning
and communication
• Advanced sensors for radiation and environment monitoring;
integrated systems for sampling and in situ analysis
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Life Support
• R&D Activities • Ground Demonstration:
– Air Revitalisation and Control – Concordia (water, waste,
– Water Recycling contaminants),
– Waste management and Recycling – Bed Rest (food),
– Food Production and Preparation – MELISSA Pilot plant,
– Contaminants detection and – Terrestrial Applications (water,
Control instruments,..)
– Maintainability and Ergonomics
– Habitability
– Standard definition
• Hardware at Flight Level
– ARES (Air Revitalisation)
– ANITA (Air contaminants)
– Bio Contamination
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Conclusions
• While preparing for the ESA Council, ESA is ready to discuss
objectives, scenarios and architectures for Space Exploration in
international co-operation,
• Based on these discussions ESA will determine priorities and suggest
activities accordingly to European Ministers at the end of 2005,
• Obviously ESA will try to build on past achievements in robotic
exploration, like Mars Express, SMART etc., as well as on European
contributions to the ISS, like Columbus, ATV, ERA etc.
• The use of the International Space Station for exploration purposes is
technically and politically of greatest importance for ESA’s attempt to
build a convincing programme.
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Questions
1) What lessons can we learn from past cooperative programs that we can
apply to future exploration cooperation?
• ISS has proven that international cooperation allows to realise large
programmes utilising competencies which allow to create a robust
programme while taking into account individual partners objectives.
• ESA is looking forward to the completion of ISS as agreed by the ISS
Partnership, and will be able to assess the relevance of the ISS
cooperation model to space exploration once its contributions are in
orbit and operational.
• Cooperation on science programmes at Agency level has proven
beneficial
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Questions
2) What are other international agencies plans for beyond LEO
exploration?
• ISS Exploitation is first priority for ESA
• The Aurora Exploration Programme has been established
• ESA’s Exploration Preparatory Programme is developing scenarios for
Human and Robotic exploration of the Solar System. In particular,
Mars and the Moon have been identified as interesting targets for
Human exploration.
• ESA is performing mission and system studies
– Mars: Primes parametric analysis, Human Mission to Mars CDF
– Lunar Scenario CDF
– Habitation and Advanced Life Support
– Crew and Cargo transportation in orbit and earth return
– Robotics
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Questions
3) What are specific mission(s) of interest?
• ESA’s primary interest is to complete and operate the ISS and get full
return of the European investment
• Human and robotic missions to Mars and the Moon are of interest to
ESA, along the lines of the Aurora roadmap
• ESA is open to collaboration on defining the overall global exploration
architecture
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Questions
4) What existing systems or major subsystems could contribute to the
functional requirements of the identified missions?
5) What are demonstrated capabilities that could contribute to systems
design?
• Solar system robotic exploration (Ulysses, Soho, Venus Express,
Smart-1, Mars Express, Cassini/Huygens, Rosetta)
• Launchers (Ariane 5)
• ISS contributions and developments (DMS/R, ATV, Columbus, ERA,
Nodes, Cupola, Payload Facilities, MPLM, ARD)
• Communications, Remote Sensing, Power Generation, Mission
Operations, Advanced Life Support
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Questions
6) Identify existing programs and funding that could contribute to the
missions, systems, or other capabilities identified above. What are
overlapping goals with each agency’s primary and secondary
objectives?
• The European exploration undertaking is the Aurora Programme
• Benefits also from ISS development and exploitation, Ariane, Soyuz at
CSG, Science, and Technology development
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Questions
7) What are desired levels and mechanisms for collaboration; for example,
shared data or experience, contribute subsystems, or contribute major
architecture functionality (system or systems). Identify cooperative
mechanisms that ensure efficient and effective integration.
• ISS exploitation will enable scientific and operational data sharing and
cooperative experience
• ESA wants to contribute with a robust and flexible programme which
will satisfy European objectives
• ESA suggests to engage in continued consultation to understand
common building blocks, and suggest working level technical
discussions
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