Dassault Aviation is talking to NASA on conducting further aerodynamics design work on the International Space Station (ISS) Crew Research Vehicle (CRV) and the X-38 reuseable spaceplane, using technology from its ditched Hermes programme.
NASA chief Daniel Goldin says the work carried out so far by the French company has been "very impressive". He is known to be unhappy with the performance of US launch contractors and to be a strong supporter of greater European participation in high technology programmes.
"If the French Government would allow Dassault to participate, we would welcome them. It would be a better machine with Dassault participation," he says.
Goldin wants to keep the existing protocol as the basis for the work, in which there is "no exchange of dollars" between NASA and Dassault, the work being conducted on a government-to-government basis.
X-38 co-operation between the NASA and the European Space Agency is financed until 2001, but, now that four CRVs are needed for the ISS, France is expected to return to the table to reap some benefit from its Hermes work. The project was abandoned because of budget constraints, but some of the aerodynamics research is recognised as groundbreaking.
Source: Flight International
