Exploration System Technology Aspects in the Exploration Programme of the European Space Agency

Paper number

IAC-05-D3.1.01

Author

Mr. Alain Pradier, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands

Coauthor

Mr. Claus-Juergen Reimers, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands

Year

2005

Abstract

Within its Exploration Programme Aurora the European Space Agency ESA is preparing activities for robotic and human exploration of the Solar System to be implemented in the next five to ten years. These activities will be based on a long-term plan for exploration with a horizon of 30 years. As ESA is convinced that Exploration can only be done in international collaboration, this long-term plan will be harmonised with the intentions of other potential international partners. Consequently the Agency will concentrate in the near future mainly on activities, which it wishes to introduce into an international partnership for exploration.

The near term programme will contain robotic activities towards Mars, i.e. the implementation of one mission and the preparation of subsequent missions. This will be accompanied by technology developments to support future missions.

Concerning human exploration activities ESA is preparing for a role in the return to the Moon, which it sees as a way station on the route to Mars. Potential contributions will build on achievements made in the context of the International Space Station and will leverage on past investments. Capabilities considered in this context are habitation, life support, assembly in orbit, pressurised rovers, etc..

The presentation will start with a description of the long-term plans of the Agency and then concentrate on the near term, giving the rationale and describing the proposed activities in some detail. In this description the authors will briefly describe the candidate missions and then concentrate on exploration system capabilities and technologies as needed for robotic and human exploration.

Abstract document

IAC-05-D3.1.01.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-D3.1.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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