NASA HAS expressed interest in booking a slot on the Ariane 5 launcher to carry a simplified version of the crew-rescue vehicle (CRV) demonstrator for the future Alpha International Space Station. The agency has requested a possible slot for 1998.
French posts and telecommunications minister Francois Fillon confirms the possible NASA launch request following a meeting with NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin after the recent launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Fillon has suggested that co-operation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) could include a free ride for the CRV on the Ariane 5 in return for the Shuttle carrying the European Alpha module.
At the last meeting of the ESA, France gained approval for funding preliminary studies and development of a crew-transport vehicle to be carried by the Ariane 5 for transport of astronauts around the Alpha International Space Station.
Source: Flight International
