CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / KILLARNEY

Common international programme would reduce cost of putting satellite into space

EADS believes Europe could have three or four reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) operational by 2015-20 if it steps up to meet the challenge posed by NASA's Space Launch Initiative to develop a Space Shuttle replacement. The company, which is eyeing the role of prime contractor on a European RLV, says: "There is a market need for a significant cost decrease and improvement of the reliability and safety in space transportation."

The European Space Agency is looking at launching a €2 billion ($1.98 billion) long-term project, the Future Launch Preparation Programme (FLPP), to pave the way for an operational RLV and is holding talks with Russia on co-operation in such fields as propulsion and aerothermodynamics.

Josef Kind, president of Astrium Space Infrastructure, says Europe will be unable to expand its space markets, or develop new ones, if it does not meet the challenge of a US second-generation RLV. NASA is spending $5 billion up to 2005 and there is the potential for additional funding from the USAir Force for development of a military spaceplane.

"Europe must be prepared to face this challenge and start a unified RLV preparatory programme now, defining its RLV system concept and developing the necessary technologies," Kind says. EADS will use Germany's Astra programme, and the Phoenix experimental vehicle due to fly first in 2004, to develop automatic landing techniques. The reusability aspect will be tackled with a full-sized demonstrator, the Phoenix II, planned to fly some time before 2007.

In parallel, re-entry technologies will be demonstrated by France's RLV project, currently run by space agency CNES, with the Hercules demonstrator flying at about the same time as Phoenix II. Meanwhile, work will go ahead on developing key technologies, such as a reusable main engine. All three efforts would be merged after 2007 into one RLV programme.

"All national and European Space Agency initiatives will lead to a common European programme," Kind says, adding that the final objective is not to carry humans into space but to bring the cost of putting a satellite in space down from €10,000-12,000 per kilogramme of payload to €4,000.

As a first step Astrium Space Infrastructure and EADS Launch Vehicles are being combined into a new unit known as Reusable Systems. Kind says this is the potential European RLV prime contractor, "complemented by highly skilled industrial partners".

Source: Flight International