Spaceplane HERMES : Europe's dream of independent manned spaceflight / Luc van den Abeelen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Abeelen, Luc van den, Author.

Series:

Springer-Praxis books in space exploration

Space Exploration

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Manned space flight.

Space vehicles.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (XXII, 588 pages) : 187 illustrations, 97 illustrations in color.

Edition:

1st edition 2017.

Place of Publication:

Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, 2017.

Summary:

This is the first comprehensive book on the European Hermes program. It tells the fascinating story of how Europe aimed for an independent manned spaceflight capability which was to complement US and Soviet/Russian space activities. In 1975, France decided to expand its plans for automated satellites for materials processing to include the development of a small 10 ton spaceplane to be launched on top of a future heavy-lifting Ariane rocket. This Hermes spaceplane would give Europe its own human spaceflight capability for shuttling crews between Earth and space stations. The European Space Agency backed the proposal. Unfortunately, after detailed studies, the project was cancelled in 1993. If Hermes had been introduced into service, it could have become the preferred "space taxi" for ferrying crews to and from the International Space Station. But that opportunity was lost. This book provides the first look of the complete story of and reasons for the demise of this ambitious program. It also gives an account which pieces of Hermes survived and are active in the 2nd decade of the 21st century. This fascinating story will be a great read for space enthusiasts. But it will also serve as a comprehensive documentation of an important episode in the history of manned spaceflight.

Contents:

Origins: re-entry vehicles and orbital factories

Getting serious: CNES develops a concept

One or the other: selecting the prime contractor

Safety rethink: the Challenger accident

The road not taken: CNES decides against Maia

The Hague: adoption by ESA

Ever growing: Hermes gains a module

Competition and the others: spacecraft from around the world

Shifting priorities: equipment relocations (1989-1990)

The transatlantic scene: Freedom struggles, Columbus and the DoD

Buying time: the six-month extension of Phase 1 (1990)

Outside influence: the costly fall of the Berlin Wall (1990-1991)

Change at Munich: stretching the imagination (1991)

Scaling down: X-2000 and Russia to the rescue (1991-1992)

Grenada: the end of the road (1992)

Descendants: of astronauts and wings

Space freighter for ISS: the promise of ATV

Hermes’ legacy: a continued mission of sorts

Keeping in touch: the DRS satellites and Mission Control

Staying cool: the thermal protection system

In Orbit Infrastructure: Platforms and Space Stations

Learning to fly: astronauts and their training

Inside and out: the space suits and escape systems

Lift-off and getting home safely: preparation, launch and landing facilities

Looking back: the Hermes experience

Afterword

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters and index.

ISBN:

9783319444727

OCLC:

1136568799