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Foreword.qxp 11/25/03 2:36 PM Page 1

number 15, december 2003 on stationhttp://www.esa.int/spaceflight The Newsletter of the Directorate of Human

in this issue Timeime ffor Reflection foreword Jörg Feustel-Büechl Time for Reflection 1 ESA Director of Jörg Feustel-Büechl The highly successful ‘Cervantes’ Spanish mission of Pedro iss Duque was flown in October, delivering the crew for ISS Return to Work 4 Expedition-8 ( and Alexander Kaleri) and Alan Thirkettle & Graham T. Biddis returning the Expedition-7 crew of Ed and 10 days later. Pedro completed all of his 21 future experiments flawlessly, which was particularly pleasing for the The 10 Spanish sponsors and also for the public visibility of human Bruno Gardini et al. spaceflight in .This was indeed an outstanding mission across all dimensions – the experiments, operations life sciences and public response. ESA and the HRF 15 We recently received some news that is disappointing for Joaquim Castellsaguer i Petit ESA. Our original information led us to believe that the would return to flight by March 2004, but now we science have learned that the target date has slipped to MSG: A Station Success 18 September/October 2004. It is expected that there will be Lina De Parolis & Andreas Schuette nine Shuttle flights before our own Columbus module can be attached to the Station – a delay of as much as 2 years.That means a Columbus launch not in October 2004 but sometime Growing 20 around October 2006.This is much more than the 1-year delay William Carey & Juergen Stroede envisaged soon after the Shuttle tragedy last February. The ESA Council in October approved the proposal that we research thoroughly review all the Human Spaceflight programmes in Creating Microgravity 22 order to see how they could be rearranged in order to Olivier Minster & Ewald Kufner minimise the effects of the return-to-flight delay.Three major questions are guiding this review: what should we do with msm Columbus and the utilisation facilities during this delay; how What is MSM-E? 24 do we keep our user community motivated as well as Bob Chesson providing timely and concrete opportunities for them; and how do we proceed with the procurement of the Automated infrastructure Transfer Vehicle (ATV)? Exercising Control 26 With respect to the first question, it is still open whether we Hiltrud Pieterek et al. store Columbus for 2 years after we complete it Spring, or plan for something like upgrading or additional testing. As far as the user community is concerned, we are looking at adding interim utilisation opportunities such as flights (two more were recently ordered), sounding flights, drop- Directorate of Human Spaceflight Direction des Vols Habité Foreword.qxp 11/25/03 2:36 PM Page 2

foreword

André Kuipers (below left,with Mr Feustel- participation of our Member States for all our Büechl) will be the next ESA Astronaut to fly Human Spaceflight programmes.We will then to the ISS, in April 2004.The mission name be able to see how we should reorganise our and logo were unveiled on 4 November at activities to cope with the delay. ESTEC: DELTA stands for ‘Dutch Expedition for Life science,Technology and Atmospheric ESA has not been passive while reviewing research’.It also refers to the Delta Works, the ‘Gehman report’ on the Columbia accident. the network of dykes and dams that We are being pro-active in two directions. protects the Netherlands province of Firstly, we are checking whether we would Zeeland from flooding by the sea. the ‘Gehman test’: do we also have to change our modus operandi in human spaceflight in order to comply with the recommendations? The second direction is more general for the Agency. The Director General has established a working group to look at the Gehman team recommendations with respect to ESA’s overall activities.The ‘better, faster, cheaper’ approach is now being replaced by the ‘smarter, stronger and safer’ approach, so we need to consider if our approach is still valid under these new circumstances. These working groups will report to the ESA Council and show if we have to adapt here and there or if we are in good shape with no towers experiments, parabolic flights and the changes necessary. Russian segment of the ISS. It is clear that we The planned Heads-of-Agency meeting in have to do something to keep our users Moscow on 18 October did not take place motivated and active with meaningful because of illness. A major purpose of that opportunities in the near future. meeting was to endorse the new schedule for The third question is possibly the most the agreed Program Action Plan (PAP), so difficult to answer because our obligation to instead we expect to have a written consensus the ISS Partners is to fly ATV only when by the Heads very soon. I am confident that the Columbus is being prepared for launch or PAP schedule will be extended to the end of actually in .We now have to decide 2004.This means we will have lost about a year whether we keep to our existing plan and fly in implementing it. the first one in the 2004- 2005, followed by one or two more before Columbus reaches the Station, or do we put ATV follow-on flights on hold and wait until Columbus arrives? We are ready to fly ATV earlier than our obligation requires provided that NASA makes it clear they want to see it operational before Columbus.We are presently discussing the appropriate understanding with NASA.

on Station We plan to answer these questions in time for completed a full series of experiments the ESA Council Meeting during his eight days aboard of 17/18 December, which the ISS in October. will decide on the financial 2

on Station no. 15, december 2003 Foreword.qxp 11/25/03 2:36 PM Page 3

ISS Elements Two More Foton Missions As far as our ISS elements are concerned, Columbus is The contract for two more Foton flights undergoing final integration was signed at ESA’s Moscow Office on 21 October. Following a year of so we have completed, more extensive negotiations, the or less, its development.The procurement is for 660 kg of ESA- , European Physiology supplied payloads aboard the Foton-M2 Modules (EPM) and Fluid and -M3 missions in May 2005 and late Science Laboratory (FSL) 2006, respectively.This provides research facilities have all reflights of almost all the experiments successfully undergone their lost in the Foton-M1 launch failure of Rack Level Test Facility (RLTF) 15 October 2002, and rescues a checkout.The European substantial part of the research lost in the Columbia tragedy. Mr.Feustel-Büechl (left) Drawer Rack (EDR) will The Foton-M2 payload will include experiments in fluid and Mr.V.I.Kozlov,Head of complete its RLTF test in physics (FluidPac, Soret Coefficients in Crude Oil), exobiology the Automatic Vehicle and December.Then these (Biopan), material science experiments using ’s Polizon Ground Control DLR’s Agat furnaces, a technology experiment (Favorite) and Department at facilities can be integrated Rosaviakosmos, conclude Autonomous experiments (Photo-II, Biofilter).Two experiments into Columbus for the full the signing of ‘Mission functional test of the overall will be embedded in the capsule’s heatshield: Keramik (reentry Orders No. 6 and 7’. technology) and Stone (simulated meteorite). Foton-M3 will system and its interaction carry experiments in biology (Biobox, Kubik, Eristo/Osteo), with the European and US exobiology (Biopan), fluid physics (SCCO, Gradflex), protein ground segments. In all crystallisation, material science (Polizon), reentry technology probability, we will then store (YES-2),plus other Autonomous experiments. Columbus for some time before shipping it to the for launch. Pedro Duque recently performed classroom-in- Although a highly complex vehicle, ATV is space experiments to demonstrate Newton’s progressing well after passing its Critical Laws to students and schoolchildren. André Design Review in June. Nevertheless, we expect Kuipers on his mission next April plans to have to do some additional work, to add human physiology experiments.The particularly on the flight software, as well as idea is to build this classroom-in-space by each accomodating a delay in delivering some ESA astronaut contributing a different equipment. As a consequence of the software discipline, ultimately publishing them all on a delays, we expect a parallel slip in finishing the CD-ROM for distribution to European schools. .We are assuming that the first This should excite a general interest in space ATV flight will slip beyond the original and help us to move towards the world’s first schedule. knowledge-based society.This is a truly positive way of using our to revive Education the interest of young people in human Some time ago, we established a Division to be spaceflight. ■ responsible for education, and it has already produced excellent results. Important educational activities have been defined within the framework of ELIPS (European Programme for Life & Physical Sciences and Applications using the ISS). In August, we launched an educational fund where we are using some residual means left over from previous programmes.We are now looking towards industrial, institutional and individual contributions to this fund. Our goal is to enable us to comply with our promise of allocating 1% of European ISS resources to student and pupil experiments. The ESA Payload Safety Review Panel,established in cooperation with NASA in 2002,met in September Furthermore, we are using our astronauts in

at ESTEC for a Training Workshop.October’s ‘Cervantes’mission was the first to carry ESA-certified on Station promoting educational activities. For instance, payloads to the ISS. 3

on Station no. 15, december 2003 CAIB.qxp 11/25/03 2:56 PM Page 2

iss RRetureturnn ttoo WWororkk The Path to Resuming Full ISS Activities

Alan Thirkettle1,Graham T.Biddis2 &Pia Mitschdoerfer3 1Head,Development Department; 2On Station Contributing Writer; 3Development Department D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email:[email protected]

Introduction significant milestones achieved; Revision 1 was When the report of the Columbia Accident issued 15 October. Investigation Board (CAIB) was published on NASA has also set up an independent 26 August 2003, its 29 recommendations were Return-to-Flight Task Group headed by former far more than expected. astronauts Thomas Stafford and Richard Covey The consequences for ESA and Fifteen have to be met and staffed by non-NASA personnel. It is the ISS of Columbia’s loss are before the next Shuttle independently assessing NASA’s responses to now coming into clearer focus ... flight, while the rest are the CAIB report in relation to the safety and longer term operational readiness of STS-114, destined to recommendations on the way that NASA be the next Shuttle flight, with Atlantis. works. Although the CAIB could only recommend and not set firm requirements, The Schedule and Return-to-Flight NASA nevertheless immediately agreed that it The immediate effect of the CAIB would implement everything. In addition, NASA recommendations on Shuttle flight planning declared that it would go beyond the Board’s was that NASA moved flight resumption from safety recommendations. For example, it is no earlier than (NET) March 2004 to July 2004. looking at how the could be Before submission of the Shuttle Return-to- used as a safe haven for Shuttle astronauts if Flight and Beyond plan to the Spaceflight on-orbit inspection of the Orbiter revealed Leadership Council, the Shuttle Program Office, serious damage.The astronauts would camp in conjunction with the ISS Program Office, aboard the ISS while the Shuttle was repaired recommended to the Council that the Shuttle or a rescue Orbiter arrived. Return-to-Flight (RTF) should be NET On 8 September, NASA released the first September 2004.The Program Office further version of its implementation plan Shuttle recommended that the manifest for the first Return-to-Flight and Beyond.This addresses all flight should be changed from a Utilization and the CAIB recommendations and elaborated Logistics Flight (ULF) to a Logistics Flight (LF) who is responsible within the agency for without ISS crew exchange.Thus flight LF1 will satisfying each one, what is required and the carry a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) schedule.The document has been endorsed by outfitted with Station supplies such as food the NASA Administrator but remains under the and fresh clothes (and only one payload rack), control of the Spaceflight Leadership Council, but the rest of the mission will be devoted to chaired by William Readdy (Associate testing Shuttle inspection and repair Administrator for Spaceflight) and Michael techniques. Greenfield (Associate Deputy Administrator for This demonstration includes a complete Technical Programs).This internal NASA council inspection of the Shuttle’s external surfaces

on Station is tracking the implementation of all the using a new boom with built-in laser sensors recommendations, and has to provide a and optical cameras.This boom will be statement that the intent of each is being met. attached to the existing Shuttle arm to create a Future issues of Shuttle Return-to-Flight and total limb length of around 30 m.The Shuttle Beyond will document the and needs to be able to inspect itself independent 4

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Most of ESA’s hardware and software contributions to the ISS are progressing as planned before the loss of Columbia.The following pages highlight recent activities.

The European-built Node-2 in the Space Station Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center.(NASA)

Columbus under integration and test at EADS in (D).

André Kuipers training for his flight to the ISS in April 2004.

The Columbus trainer at the European Astronaut Centre,Cologne (D). on Station

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The Interconnected Ground System (IGS) node at NASA Marshall will relay the Columbus science data to .

Pressure-testing the Cupola.

The Protein Crystallisation Diagnostics Facility (PCDF), engineering model. Pedro Duque working with the Microgravity Science Glovebox aboard the ISS. Materials Science Laboratory: the vacuum Simulation of astronaut monitoring of ATV gas subsystem. docking with the ISS.

The ATV avionics section. The ATV Control Centre, (F). The ATV Integrated Cargo Carrier.

Installation of the ATV control room in Toulouse. on Station

The ATV forward section,with the docking unit. 6

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The business end of the . The DMS-R data management system has worked almost perfectly aboard Zvezda since launch in July 2000. MELFI (Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS) is at the Kennedy Space Center ready for launch.

The European Drawer Rack (EDR).

The European Physiology Modules (EPM) rack. Biolab during electromagnetic testing at Intespace (F). The HRF-2 Human Research Facility, with ESA’s Pulmonary Function System (PFS) at top left.

The spacewalker’s control panel for ERA.

The Matroshka life sciences phantom was delivered to Russia in November for launch to the ISS by a

The Columbus External Payload Progress unmanned ferry in on Station Adapter (CEPA). The Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL). January 2004. 7

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of ISS help because there will still be included margins that would be allocated to occasional non-Station flights such as the payloads at a late stage in planning, but these Hubble servicing missions. On margins will now be held in reserve in case the first RTF mission, this demonstration is additional repair or inspection hardware is planned for flight day 2, before docking with required at short notice. ESA hopes to make an the ISS. Upon arrival at the Station, the Orbiter important contribution to solving this logistics will pirouette so that the Station’s own arm can problem with its Automated Transfer Vehicle survey its exterior. (ATV). Although designing the boom is not A further restriction is that the reduced considered to be a big problem, controlling it flexibility provided by a fleet of only three from the Shuttle mid-deck will be very difficult Shuttles will significantly affect the assembly because it greatly extends the Shuttle arm that sequence. For example, each Orbiter needs already has 7 degrees-of-freedom. Creating the regular servicing and one is required for the software for controlling the boom is expected servicing mission in to be taxing. 2005 before Columbus can fly. After docking and unloading the supplies, So it looks as though Columbus can expect a two or three EVAs within the Shuttle payload 2-year delay unless – and ESA is pushing NASA bay will test the new repair methods devised hard on this – it is brought forward in the for the Shuttle thermal tiles and, potentially, sequence. Columbus availability would boost the wings’ Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) utilisation not only in terms of new facilities leading edges.The RCC panels are long-lead (Biolab, FSL, EPM, EDR) but also cooperative items, so one might not be available for this science with NASA in the form of substantially demonstration.There are 22 unique panels in extended accommodation resources for each wing and their repair is expected to be payloads and stowage. extremely difficult to achieve in space. Each ESA has set up a working group to look at has to remain not only aerodynamic but also the technical and financial aspects of a 2-year provide thermal protection. delay. Some internal replanning is now LF-1 will be followed by the new ULF1.1 required for our Station elements and, just as mission to ferry further supplies and to restart importantly, what the delays means to the user ISS utilisation activities, using MELFI (Minus community and how we can keep it active and Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for the ISS), interested in the ISS for two more years. WORF (Window Observational Research Unfortunately, this is happening at the end of Facility) and either HRF-2/PFS (Human Columbus development, when ESA no longer Research Facility/Pulmonary Function System) has all the financial resources to sustain the or EMCS (European Modular Cultivation industrial teams until the operational phase System; see article in this issue). On-orbit begins.We therefore have to find innovative testing of thermal protection repairs will ways of keeping the teams together and the continue. user community interested.This exercise has Return-to-Flight thus requires two only just started, and it will be some time qualification flights before the Shuttle can before it shows the way to go. resume normal service. After them, the ISS The intention is to look at the amount of Assembly sequence will pick up with mission ‘integrated’ money that is already available in 12A (NET February 2005) and then 12A.1 (NET the Human Spaceflight programme for April 2005). 12A will upload the Station’s P3/P4 Exploitation, for ELIPS (European Programme array truss assemblies and 12A.1 the P5 for Life and Physical Sciences and Applications truss and more Station logistics. utilising the ISS), and left over from ISS The most obvious impact of the Shuttle development and so on, to see exactly what is fleet’s grounding is the delay to the Columbus available and how can it best be reallocated launch.This will be affected by the new ULF1.1 over the 2-year delay. mission as well as the grounding period. The largest amount of money available is Columbus may be delayed even more in the currently planned for the Exploitation phase,

on Station assembly sequence because new logistics which includes the procurement of ATVs and missions might be necessary. Each Shuttle will their -5s.There is now a tactical question lose about 1500 kg in cargo capacity in order as to whether it is wise to continue with these to carry the arm/boom.The repair kits may procurements or to redirect those resources to cost a further 500 kg. Also, previous manifests keep industry going. 8

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An internal MSM group has been set up to satisfy the CAIB recommendations? This is decide by the end of November what to do in clearly no simple task and requires significant time for the December meeting of the ESA effort to see if our way of doing business is Council. appropriate and, if not, to show what needs to be done. ESA Standards The CAIB Report, although it is directed only Program Action Plan towards NASA and the Shuttle programme, It should not be forgotten that there is as yet may contain recommendations that could and no real stability in the Return-to-Flight should be applied to our activities.There are planning.The first flight is slipping faster than two types of recommendations in the report: normal time. It is important for MSM to identify purely technical (related to making the Shuttle all the issues that need to be addressed so that, a safer piece of engineering), and the cultural when some stability does return, ESA can move and organisational (related to improving the ahead with activities leading to a successful way that NASA does business).These latter Columbus launch. recommendations could be applicable to the The Heads of Agency Program Action Plan way in which MSM in particular and ESA in (PAP), which defines the approach for general do business. achieving ISS crews 6-7 strong some 2 years Two ESA internal working groups have been after Columbus arrives, is clearly being established by the Director-General: one is affected.The PAP schedule is currently being looking at human spaceflight programmes, and agreed upon. Implementation of the Plan is the second at all other ESA programmes.They delayed by about a year but that still requires must report back to the ESA Management a certain stability in the Station assembly Board with recommendations in early sequence. An updated PAP with intermediate December.Within this framework, we also plan milestones is planned to be released in mid- to assess whether our ESA standards and 2004.Then, in the following 6 months, approaches pass what has become known as negotiations and bartering will take place to the ‘Gehman test’ (after CAIB Chairman, Harold see who-provides-what. So it will be at least Gehman): are we really operating according to the end of 2004 before an agreed PAP is the European Cooperation for Space available.This should embrace the CAIB Standardisation (ECSS) and the ESA recommendations and so provide some much- management manuals, and do all these really needed stability in our way forward. ■

The first joint simulation with NASA,in September on Station 2003. 9

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future TThehe AAururororaa PPrroogrgrammeamme A Stepping-Stone Path for Humans to

Bruno Gardini1,Franco Ongaro2,Alain Pradier2,Dietrich Vennemann3,Loredana Bessone3 & Didier Schmitt3 1Directorate of Technical & Operational Support; 2Directorate of Strategic & External Relations; 3Directorate of Human Spaceflight ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email: [email protected]

Introduction The ambitious goal of ESA’s Aurora programme is to prepare Europe for the next step in the human exploration of our : exploration beyond low orbit. Created in early 2001 as a joint initiative of several ESA Directorates, Aurora was approved by all Member States and Canada as an Optional Programme at the Edinburgh Council at Ministerial Level in November 2001. At the same time, a 3-year preparatory Aurora has identified a period (2002-2004) was subscribed thrilling goal: Europeans to by A, B, CDN, CH, E,F,I,NL,P &UK. on Mars by 2030 ... With its vision of long-term human exploration and a coherent programme of missions to prepare the technology and support infrastructures, Aurora D/SER.The team’s composition reflects Aurora’s is of special interest to the Directorate of multidisciplinary aspects, with the ambition of Human Spaceflight. combining human exploration with the build- up of the required knowledge and expertise Programmatics via robotic missions.The programme Aurora was approved as an envelope Optional consequently includes early developments in Programme, with budgets extending over life support, understanding human physiology, 5-year periods.The present preparatory period ISS applications and other ambitious is focused on defining a long-term vision for technologies dedicated to exploration. human exploration (The European Framework Aurora’s content has been defined over the for Exploration) and on preparing a new last 2 years, built on a large foundation of Programme Proposal to be submitted for scientific and technical expertise, with regular approval at the next Ministerial Council, now calls for ideas and continual consultation with a expected to take place in early 2005.This network of university and research institutes. In Programme Proposal will cover activities over this sense, Aurora has established a solid and 2005-2009, defining in detail the technical lasting synergy with the European Programme content, the planning and the financial for Life & Physical Sciences (ELIPS) in human budgets for the first full period of Aurora. physiology and, particularly, in the A team was created in 2001 drawing on development of the Pasteur payload of

on Station ESA’s Directorates of Industrial Matters and exobiology instruments. Technology (D/IMT), Human Spaceflight The Executive is supported by the (D/MSM), Science (D/SCI), Strategic & External Exploration Programme Advisory Committee Relations (D/SER) and Technical & Operational (EPAC), which includes equal proportions of Support (D/TOS) under the responsibility of science and technology experts from industry 10

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objectives for this first mission to Mars were proposed as:

Primary objectives –land a crew on Mars by 2030 and return them safely, ensuring for both Earth and Mars; –demonstrate human capabilities needed to support human presence on Mars; –explore and expand scientific knowledge, taking maximum advantage of human presence, including sample selection.

Secondary objectives – assess suitability of Mars for long-term human presence (habitability, resources, engineering constraints); –motivate a new generation through outreach and educational activities.

The work so far has defined the knowledge required for such a mission.We have also identified the capabilities needed for the longer-term objectives.

Required Knowledge The mission objectives and today’s available knowledge lead us to concentrate on:

–existence of life forms on Mars; –effects of radiation on humans; –medical and physiological aspects; and universities, plus there is a representative – psychological reactions; of ESA’s Astronauts Corps.The EPAC activities –on-orbit/surface radiation environment; are reinforced by regular Working Meetings –martian soil properties; involving large numbers of academic, scientific –martian atmosphere properties. and technical experts from Europe and Canada. The Programme reports to the Aurora Board of The effects of long-term space travel on Participants (ABP). humans will be studied on the International Space Station (ISS) and in dedicated ground European Framework for Exploration simulations.To acquire the necessary Fleshing out the European Framework for knowledge of Mars, we need a number of Exploration (EFE) is a major effort of this in situ experiments.These activities will be preparatory period.The EFE provides the vision included in the Aurora Research Roadmap of and objectives, outlining a roadmap for EFE. exploring the Solar System. A major step is assessing the suitability of Mars for long-term Required Capabilities human presence: habitability, resources and Some important capabilities for long-term engineering constraints. In the longer term, and human missions away from planet Earth are: in line with the approaches of other Agencies, an international may –assembly in orbit; become a reality around 2030. Aurora would –advanced interplanetary propulsion; prepare for this mission and identify a strategic – lightweight habitats; role for Europe. Following intensive – life-support systems; consultation with EPAC, the European prime –aerocapture/; on Station contractors and two Working Meetings, the –surface EVA suit; 11

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–surface mobility; priorities for work on technologies have also –nuclear power on Mars; been defined and will be further discussed – in situ resource utilisation (ISRU); with industry. Finally, human mission studies –nuclear electric propulsion. will allow us to define more clearly how the present know-how and capabilities in the The activities to build up these capabilities Space Station programme can be developed will be included in the Aurora Technology towards Aurora’s goals. Roadmap of the EFE. Robotic Mission Studies The mission scenario includes major (Flagship) missions plus small technology (Arrow) missions of lower cost and short development time, mostly in support of Flagship missions.

ExoMars Mission (Flagship) This first mission reflects the importance of resolving if The ExoMars spacecraft approaches the planet. there is .The main objectives are: It is already clear from this short list that Europe cannot shoulder all this research and Knowledge objectives technology work alone.We believe, however, –search for signs of past that it is important to understand the totality and present life; of what is needed before we can define –identification and priorities and enter into discussions on characterisation of international cooperation. potential to Aurora missions are motivated either by the humans; acquisition of knowledge and/or by the –improving knowledge of the demonstration of capabilities.The research and martian environment. technology roadmaps enable us to define an Aurora Mission Roadmap of robotic and human Capabilities objectives missions to prepare for the first human mission –landing of large payloads on Mars; to Mars in 2030.This route is at one end –Mars surface mobility; determined by our present knowledge and –rendezvous in Mars orbit; capabilities, and at the other by the knowledge –forward planetary protection; and capabilities needed for the first human –solar electric power on the surface of Mars. mission. Although we are still working on the detailed definition of that mission and ExoMars aims for launch in 2009. After associated precursor missions, we have a fairly releasing the descent module into a hyperbolic good understanding of our present capabilities entry trajectory, the main craft will enter Mars The ExoMars rover in 2009 would pave the way for the and knowledge. So the major components of a orbit as a data relay . Using an inflatable sample return mission in near-term mission scenario have been braking device or a parachute system, the 2011. identified with the EPAC and ABP.Preliminary descent module will deliver a large (200 kg) on Station

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rover to the surface.The autonomous rover, into Mars orbit, a descent Aurora: First Contracts powered by conventional solar arrays, will module will land. A robotic A milestone was reached on 29 September 2003 spend several months exploring the hostile drill will collect a soil with the announcement of the winners of terrain.The 40 kg payload (named Pasteur, after sample and place it inside competitive contracts for ExoMars and the Entry the French microbiologist) will include a drill a small canister on the Vehicle Demonstrator studies.Three industrial and sampling/handling device to analyse soil ascent vehicle.This will teams were selected to carry out Phase A full from sites that may be hospitable to primitive then lift off and mission designs for ExoMars under 10-month € life forms. rendezvous with the 600k contracts: –Alenia Spazio (I), with subcontractors OHB (D), The rover navigation system (including parent craft in orbit. An GMV (E), SEA (UK), SSC (UK) and Laben (I); optical sensors, onboard software and Earth return vehicle will –Alcatel Space (F), with subcontractors Deimos autonomous operations) and the life- bring back the capsule (E), ETCA (B), Fluid Gravity Engineering (UK), detecting payload will be straight into our Kayser Threde (D), Laben (I), MD Robotics significant technological atmosphere. Slowed by a (CND), NGC Aerospatiale (CND), QinetiQ (UK) and Vorticity (UK).; challenges for European and parachute or inflatable –EADS (F), with subcontractors Astrium Canadian industries.Testing device, it will make a fairly Ltd (UK), EADS LV (F) and SAS (B). the rendezvous and docking gentle touchdown before techniques on ExoMars will transfer into a planetary Two teams were selected for the parallel EVD € The ascent stage of the prepare the way for the protection facility. mission pre-Phase A 5-month 150k studies.The concept presented under the leadership of EADS Mars Sample Return second mission, the Mars Launch Vehicles (F), with OHB System (D) and Mission lifts off with its Sample Return. Entry Vehicle precious cargo. Plansee (A) is solidly based on the experience of A recent Call for Ideas Demonstrator (Arrow) past projects.The team headed by SSTL (UK), with for Pasteur experiments A critical assessment of the Fluid Gravity Engineering (UK), Kayser-Threde has attracted a very large capabilities needed for the GmbH (D) and Vorticity Ltd (UK), has devised a response: more than 580 sample return mission highly innovative concept well adapted for a small technology mission. investigators from 30 shows that Europe has countries want to never performed the Industrial proposals were submitted on 1 August participate in the mission. 12.1 km/s reentry required for two €600k Phase A studies of the Mars Sample for a vehicle returning Return Mission.The winners were announced in Mars Sample Return Mission from Mars. A dedicated October: –Astrium Ltd (UK), with subcontractors EADS ST (Flagship) Arrow mission must: (F), Astrium SAS (F), Galileo Avionica (I), RAL This second mission follows (UK), SAS (B), SENER (E) and Utopia essentially the same goals as the first: –validate the robust Consultancies (D); design of a reentry –Alenia (I) with subcontractors Alcatel (F), ELV (I), Knowledge objectives capsule; MDR (CND), Dutch Space (NL) and SENER (E). –search for signs of life; –demonstrate high- –perform geological/mineralogical analyses speed reentry on samples of martian soil; technology; –perform analyses of samples of martian –demonstrate that planetary protection atmosphere; aspects can be fulfilled; –identify and characterise potential hazards –validate operational aspects of sample for humans. retrieval.

Capabilities objectives This mission will place a small craft –entry,descent and landing system in a highly elliptical orbit around the validation; Earth.The reentry vehicle will then –Mars ascent vehicle validation; be accelerated into the –sampling of atmosphere, top atmosphere to test its heatshield and deep soil; and other technologies under –forward and backward Mars-return conditions. Since planetary protection; planetary protection rules –operational aspects of a round apply in case of failure – such as trip to Mars. The descent module of the Mars the parachute not opening – we Sample Return Mission. have to allow for a crash landing. Planned for launch in 2011, this mission will The capsule must guarantee the structural bring back the first sample of martian soil for integrity of the sample container even for the on Station analysis in laboratories on Earth. After braking most serious failures. 13

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future

The Franco-Italian ‘Concordia’ Antarctic station is testing technologies such as life- support elements and performing scientific research to prepare the human aspects of future Mars missions.Further information can be found on the Aurora website.

Mars Aerocapture Demonstrator (Arrow) mission, in-flight psychological support will be Aerocapture slows a spacecraft through friction very limited, so crew selection and training in in a planet’s atmosphere in order to establish a stress-management skills will be of major stable orbit. By avoiding onboard propulsion, importance. the spacecraft can be considerably smaller and cheaper. Aerocapture has enormous potential Human Mission Studies for the large human missions – it may even be Early human mission studies have been an enabling technology. Aurora therefore performed under ESA’s General Studies proposes this small mission to validate the Programme, with European companies making technology at Mars before it is applied to a series of parametric studies to identify the larger, more ambitious Flagship missions and, most critical areas of human missions to Mars. eventually, to a manned expedition. For example, using cryogenic propulsion for Earth-Mars injection and aerocapture at Mars could significantly reduce the mass to be lifted into Earth orbit. In order to perform systematic architecture trade studies and preliminary human mission designs, the capabilities of ESTEC’s Concurrent Design Facility have been extended with the help of D/MSM experts to deal with human ESTEC’s Concurrent Design Facility allows the rapid missions.This capability is presently being used design of pre-Phase A on a preliminary architecture for the missions. conceptual design of Mars mission elements such as the Interplanetary . Research and Technology Progressively, other elements will be studied. Technology activities within the first full period Once the complete architecture is defined, of 2005-2009 are divided into two groups.The trade studies will create a reference mission-specific technology work will advance architecture. Later work will define the the technology needed for the first missions to developments needed to advance today’s a degree of maturity to allow the start of Space Station expertise – such as Columbus phases B/C/D. In the second group, we are and the Automated Transfer vehicle – towards looking for new promising approaches, which the reference architecture. may offer advantages for later missions.These research activities will concentrate on the Conclusions effects of long-term space travel on humans, The Aurora Programme is now in its second because the missions already cover research year, aiming to consolidate a long-term vision into the Mars environment. Physiological of human exploration while preparing for the studies in Earth orbit continue to provide direct robotic exploration missions, the technology experience with the effects of microgravity. and the required know-how in human However, because flight opportunities are still physiology and life support. It is building on

on Station scarce and operational restrictions often the experience acquired via the Space Station influence the experiments, ground-based and prepares for the post-ISS era. ■ simulations (like bedrest research) will continue to play an important role, especially for Further information on Aurora can be found at: www.esa.int/aurora evaluating new countermeasure. On a Mars 14

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ESAESA andand thethe HumanHuman RResearesearchch FFacilitacilityy Studying Human Adaptation to Spaceflight

Joaquim Castellsaguer i Petit Payloads Division,Utilisation Department, D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email: [email protected]

Introduction Instruments are accommodated in three HRF Since 1990, the International Space Life racks, plus other equipment is stowed Sciences Working Group has coordinated elsewhere. HRF-1 has been operating in NASA’s international cooperation in space life sciences. Destiny module since March 2001 with The participating space agencies exclusively US research are NASA, ESA, CNES, DLR, ESA is making major equipment. HRF-2 will begin CSA (Canada), JAXA (Japan) contributions to life sciences testing next February and NSAU (Ukraine). A research aboard the ISS ... inside Columbus at the guiding principle is to optimise EADS site in Bremen (D) to the use of scarce resources by avoiding ensure smooth installation in orbit.The racks duplication of equipment and sharing will eventually be collocated in Columbus close hardware and flight opportunities. It is within to the EPM rack in order this context that ESA is developing the to optimise the life European Physiology Modules (EPM) facility sciences research. and contributing several elements to NASA’s Investigators will also Human Research Facility. have access to NASA’s Crew Health Care The Human Research Facility System (CheCS). For The Human Research Facility (HRF) supports example, the ergometer life sciences research aboard the ISS into the and treadmill were physiological and psychological changes in developed to counteract humans arising from spaceflight and the the long-term effects of microgravity environment. Investigations are of , but can two broad types: also be used for HRF – basic research that uses microgravity to exercise experiments. address fundamental scientific questions of ESA is contributing four instruments to HRF: human physiology.The knowledge can help –Pulmonary Function Module (PFM) and to solve medical problems on Earth. Photoacoustic Analyser Module (PAM), for –operational research aiming to solve the overall Pulmonary Function System (PFS); problems of human adaptation to –Handgrip and Pinch Dynamometers spaceflight.The results will help to improve (HGD/PFD); countermeasures for astronauts during long –Percutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulator flights. (PEMS); –Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise HRF is a complete medical research System (). platform, offering ultrasound imaging, pulmonary function analysis, body-mass Pulmonary Function System (PFS) measurement, advanced eye-tracking, a The overall PFS consists of several main muscular atrophy research system, centrifuging modules: on Station of refrigerated bio-samples, etc. –the Pulmonary Function Module (PFM); 15

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life sciences

PFS/PAM installed in HRF-2.

–the Photoacoustic Analyser Module (PAM); –the Gas Analyser System for Metabolic Analysis Physiology (GASMAP), from NASA; –the Gas Delivery System (GDS), from NASA.

By reconfiguring the interconnections between these building blocks, it is possible to use either GASMAP (a mass-spectrometer) or PAM for measuring gas composition. PFM consists of the Respiratory Valve Unit and associated flow-meters, a rebreathing bag assembly and an electronics unit. Its flexibility allows a wide range of respiratory and cardiovascular measurements, including: breath-by-breath measurements, diffusing HRF-2 in orbital configuration.It will shortly be tested inside capacity of the lung, expiratory reserve volume, Columbus at EADS in Bremen.(NASA) forced expired spirometry, functional residual capacity, cardiac output, alveolar ventilation, energy heats the samples in pulses. A volume of pulmonary capillary blood, and microphone picks up the amplitude of these other specialised tests of pulmonary function. pulses, yielding an accurate measure PFM/PAM is of the of the gas specific to this capable of infrared frequency. measuring the PAM can be used, for example, to measure

the O2/CO2 ratio in the exhaled air as the of O2,CO2,CO, astronaut exercises. As exercise requires more Freon-22, SF6 intake than during rest this gives a and CH4 in an good indication of metabolic status. astronaut’s NASA plans to launch PFM/PAM as part of exhaled breath. HRF-2 on the ULF-1 mission, possibly in 2004. In a research Developed by SME Innovision A/S of Denmark, environment, PFM/PAM was delivered to NASA in 2001. this task has Innovision has been involved in respiratory been instrumentation for space application since the traditionally mid-1980s, and have also produced successful performed by a commercial spin-offs in the medical field. mass- ESA Astronaut André Kuipers spectrometer. ESA also used this technology in Handgrip and Pinch tests PFM during a parabolic its first Respiratory Monitoring System, Force Dynamometers flight. developed for the -D2 mission (1993). HGD measures the PAM, however, is based on a novel gas analysis force exerted by a principle; photoacoustics offers many hand gripping with

on Station advantages in the clinical field and especially four fingers against aboard the Space Station. It depends on the the palm (up to fact that different gases absorb infrared light at 1kN).PFD measures HGD back, PFD front,in the different and very precise wavelengths.The gas the force exerted mission kit ready to fly. expands and contracts as narrowband infrared between the thumb 16

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and the opposing finger(s) (up to 270 N). Both dynamometers are handheld devices connected to the HRF data acquisition system to measure astronaut strength dynamically. In a typical experiment, they are used as a static exercise stimulus. SME Kayser Italia developed HGD/PFD and delivered them to ESA in 1999; the three flight units were delivered to NASA Johnson in February 2000. NASA will probably launch MARES will monitor muscle these devices on the Columbus 1E mission. An strength during long flights. HGD/PFD derivative was used by ESA Astronaut during his ISS visit in Typical April 2002. usage is to obtain the Percutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulator ‘torque-velocity PEMS stimulates muscle groups on the limbs curve’ for a (ankle, knee, thumb, elbow and wrist) with muscle group, electrical pulses applied via skin electrodes.The measuring its pulse duration and amplitude are strength as a programmable to either 50 µs for up to 0.8 A or function of the 250 µs up to 0.16 A. It provides either single angular speed. pulses or fully programmable pulse trains, and It can also be can be triggered either manually or remotely, used in motor- typically by MARES (see below). A typical control application is to study muscle strength experiments independently of the subject’s voluntary neural and as an exercise machine to experiment with drive. different training protocols. MARES can operate in single joint (angular) The PEMS flight model. movements (ankle, knee, hip, trunk, wrist, elbow, shoulder) and in multi-joint (linear) movements (arm/s-press and leg/s-press).The programmed load can range from being as simple as maintaining a constant speed or torque irrespective of what the user does (isokinetic, isotonic), to imitating combinations of springs, masses and frictions. An astronaut could, for example, replicate what a rower feels: high resistance in flexion, low in extension. MARES covers torque ranges of up to 900 Nm and rates up to 9 rad/s. At the same PEMS is a self-contained item, stowed in a time, it allows fine motor-control experiments, locker. It was developed by Alcatel Space with torques set at resolutions of 1 Nm.This Switzerland (CH),formerly CIR, and delivered in large dynamic range requires a very specialised 2002.The plan is to launch PEMS and MARES motor design. together on the UF-3 mission, in around 2006. MARES will be operated in the aisle of Columbus, attached to the seat tracks of an Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System HRF rack. It physically consists of the Main Box The 250 kg MARES is ESA’s heaviest (containing the motor and electronics), the contribution to HRF.It measures how well Chair and a large number of Human Adapters muscle groups perform by accurately for accommodating a wide range of astronauts. measuring an astronaut’s reaction to When not in use, all of its elements will be programmed loads during exercise. It is a stored inside the HRF rack. contest of physical strength in which the MARES was developed by NTE (E), Etel (CH) MARES motor can be programmed to win or and Origin (NL), and it will be launched in the on Station lose. UF-3 mission in around 2006. ■ 17

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science MSG:MSG: AA SStatationtion SSuccuccessess Microgravity Science Glovebox 18 Months in Space

Lina De Parolis1 & Andreas Schuette2 1Utilisation Department,D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands 2EADS Space Transportation GmbH,Bremen, Email: [email protected]

Introduction as part of the ESA-Belgian Soyuz taxi mission, The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) – flown by in October 2002: Europe’s first research facility for the COSMIC (Combustion Synthesis under Micro- International Space Station (ISS) – was launched gravity Conditions), DCCO ( Coefficients in June 2002 on Shuttle STS-111/UF-2.This in Crude Oil), Nanoslab (aggregation glovebox can house investigations into mechanisms and kinetics of zeolite particles) combustion, fluids and and PromISS (protein crystal growth monitoring MSG is proving to be a biotechnology and handle a wide by digital holographic ). PromISS valuable research facility range of materials. After the required direct commands from the experiment aboard the ISS ... astronauts installed it in NASA’s to the Video Drawer, a feature that was not Destiny research module, it originally planned for MSG.This new capability underwent an extensive checkout to verify that was quickly developed and the updated MSG it was still working properly following the application software was installed on the MSG rigours of launch.The crew was supported in engineering model and verified, both this crucial step by a NASA team at the standalone and together with the PromISS flight Telescience Support Center (TSC) of the unit. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Frank’s MSG activities during his 8 days Alabama, supplemented by the ESA and aboard the Station were closely coordinated industry experts who had between the Erasmus Payload Operations performed the ground test Control Centre( EPOC) at ESTEC and the TSC, campaign. Special attention was where ESA and European industry experts, as paid to the air circulation system of well as a Russian representative, supported the the core facility, the different NASA Marshall team.This close cooperation operating modes and the video proved to be valuable during the experiments system. because some problems appeared that required As part of this commissioning prompt real-time from everyone phase, the first two materials involved. PromISS initially failed to activate Pedro Duque working with science experiments were conducted: because of a ‘safety inhibit’ problem, which was MSG. ‘Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed solved by changing the procedure and Ampoules’ and ‘Toward repeating the set-up sequence.The experiment Understanding Pore Formation and then went as planned. A component failure in Mobility Investigation’.Over the Nanoslab’s own electronic unit caused the loss next 3 months, the experiments of that experiment.The real-time adjustment by were run repeatedly and the facility the crew of the time window for COSMIC’s was operated extensively and ignition ensured live video coverage on the flawlessly. At the end of this phase, ground. MSG was fully accepted and

on Station formally handed over to NASA. MSG Problems Appear The ESA-Belgian mission enjoyed flawless European Experiments behaviour by MSG itself. However, on In December 2001, the first design proposals for 20 November 2002, 2 weeks after Frank’s four European MSG experiments were discussed departure, an electrical fault developed in MSG’s 18

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power system: a 12 V circuit breaker tripped to gain rear access and to run through the several times in the Power Distribution & entire activation procedure.This took until Conversion box (PDC) and communications 19 March.The 12 V problem was not triggered with the sensor board were lost.The TSC again and MSG has worked flawlessly since. immediately alerted the ESA team, who defined Since the main failure and some events and triggered a long series of troubleshooting leading up to it could not be precisely activities in space. Unfortunately, their efforts identified, an independent Failure Inquiry showed that there was no way to solve the Board worked from January to April 2003. PDC troubleshooting on the problem on-orbit and that the affected Although the root of the 12 V problem was not ground. hardware – designed anyway as an Orbital pinpointed, the final report made Replacement Unit – had to be returned to the recommendations for MSG operations and ground for more detailed investigations. Shuttle extended electrical testing of subsequent STS-113 was still docked to the Station at the European ISS payloads, as well as for the time, so the two suspect units (PDC and the design of future power systems (all other RPDA-ESEM3 main power supply card of the current ESA payloads have different circuits). Remote Power Distribution Assembly) could be retrieved quickly. Normal Operations The troubleshooting, led by ESA and EADS, MSG has worked without problems ever since The repaired PDC ready to be was mostly done at the premises of its repair. Another NASA experiment (In-Space) loaded into Progress 10P. subcontractor Bradford Engineering (NL). One was performed successfully during the summer, cause was promptly identified: the 5 V DC/DC but the Columbia accident in February 2003 converter in the PDC powering the sensor prevented additional utilisation.Then, in board had a design weakness that led to October, the Spanish Soyuz mission brought progressive degradation of its components.This two experiments: the reflight of Nanoslab, and was easily corrected and the PDC was reverified the improved PromISS2.They went perfectly. In on the MSG engineering model at NASA addition, two new technology experiments are Marshall. However, the source of the 12 V being developed for plasma bulbs problem could not be found or reproduced.The (ARGES) and advanced heat pipes RPDA-ESEM3 card was blameless in both cases. (HEAT), to be performed in April 2004 ESA was again fortunate with scheduling: the by André Kuipers during his ESA- ESA-Spanish mission in October 2003 had Dutch mission. Beyond that, ESA has booked capacity on several Progress supply begun studies for further European ferries, so the repaired items could be launched investigations within MSG, such as aboard Progress 10P on 2 February 2003. As magnetic fluids, aqueous foams and soon as they arrived, the units were reinstalled crystallisation from gas phase. in MSG ... and the 12 V circuit tripped again. A PDC is tested on the ground. long period of detailed troubleshooting began, Conclusions activating the E-Box circuits progressively, each The first 18 months of MSG’s life aboard the step requiring the MSG rack to be partially tilted Station have proved to be quite intensive in terms of experiments performed and the maintenance required. Indeed, the delay in delivering other ISS facilities means that MSG is being used much more than expected.Thanks to its flexibility, the excellent of cooperation between the Industry, ESA and NASA teams and the availability of the European Soyuz missions, sponsored by national agencies, important science is being performed aboard the ISS even during this difficult time. ■ on Station Don Petit removes the suspect units.(NASA) 19

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biology GGrroowingwing PPlanlantsts inin SSpacpacee The European Modular Cultivation System

William Carey1 & Juergen Stroede2 1Programme Integration Department; 2Utilisation Department D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email:[email protected]

Introduction Subrack Interface The European Modular Cultivation System Standard (ISIS) (EMCS) is a new ESA gravitational biology drawer. Video, data and research facility dedicated to experiments on command signals will allow experiment control plants, focusing on multi- from the ground. ESA’s new facility for studying the generation experiments Control experiments will be performed on biological effects of gravity is and the periods of early Earth for comparison with the space results nearing completion ... growth. Research using using EMCS Ground Reference Models, one at insects, amphibia, the University of Trondheim (N) and the other invertebrates, and cell and tissue cultures are at the NASA Ames Research Center (USA). also planned. EMCS will be housed in NASA’s Destiny research module aboard the Centrifuges International Space Station (ISS), and will be Both of the 60 cm-diameter centrifuges rotate operated in cooperation with NASA via a around the rack’s vertical axis. Normally, one Memorandum of Understanding for at least centrifuge is either held fast as the 2years of continuous operation. Access to ISS microgravity platform or it provides variable resources such as stowage, cooler/freezer and g-levels (10–3-2 g).The second centrifuge rotates gloveboxes for sample storage, transportation at 1.8 rpm to provide the 1g-reference and handling is also provided. environment for the experiments in space. EMCS consists of an incubator (the Holding Together, the centrifuges offer: eight EC Structure) positions (interfaces), the life-support system hosting two for air humidification/dehumidification, four large movable video cameras and tilting mirrors for centrifuges, observation of the container interiors, the each capable of electronics boxes for power, data and video carrying four processing, two fresh-water (250 ml) and liquid Experiment waste (250 ml) reservoirs, and eight LED arrays Containers with up to 75 W/m2 light output for (ECs).The photosynthesis. incubator’s Thermal Control Atmospheric Control System System provides The entire air volume inside the incubator is conditioned by an Atmospheric Control System selectable (ACS) – a gas supply unit, an ethylene removal within +8°C to unit and a sensor module.The humidity is

on Station +40°C. EMCS controlled individually at the EC level: air from The EMCS Holding Structure will be accommodated within a NASA Express the incubator is filtered through the EC and (Flight Model) with ISIS Drawer (lower panel).The Rack occupying a volume of four Shuttle conditioned by individual humidifier/ doors provide access to the Middeck Lockers, with the associated control dehumidifier units connected to each EC.This Experiment Containers. electronics contained in an International system also retrieves the water evaporated by 20

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the plants for re-use, avoiding condensation problems.

Experiment Container In addition to power and data lines and The Holding Structure,with one rotor shown. inlet/outlet gas connectors, the EC baseplate also has the Norwegian User Support and Operations quick-disconnects for water supply from Centre (N-USOC) at the University of the fresh-water reservoir and removal to the Trondheim. waste-water reservoir on the rotor. Nutrients for plant growth are added within the EC to Project Team prevent contamination of the water reservoir. An industrial consortium involving EADS-ST Any particulates in the air stream going into (formerly Astrium, D) and OHB (D),Verhaert (B), the EC from the incubator air volume will be Carlo Gavazzi Space (I), Ferrari/DTM (I), EADS- trapped in membrane filters (0.2 µm pores) at Astrium (F), EREMS (F) and NTE (E) built the the EC inlet. Each EC also has sensors for EMCS Flight Model. Rovsing (DK), Dutch Space monitoring and pressure.The (NL) and CCM (NL) produced the ground internal volume (0.58 litres) is available for reference hardware and software.The NASA experiment hardware and plant specimens of experiments for EMCS are being designed and up to 60x60x160mm.The EC’s large size built by NASA Ames.The responsibility for allows the installation of highly automated designing the first batch of ESA-selected hardware to support, for example, the growth experiments was recently contracted to of plant cultures without the need for EADS-ST (Phase-A/B), to provide flight-qualified astronaut access to the EC. experiments by early 2005.

Early Operations Conclusion The EMCS will pass its Flight Acceptance EMCS provides a promising next step in the Review before the end of 2003, and flight- development of advanced facilities dedicated standard ECs will arrive in batches throughout to biological research in space. It builds upon 2004. Following launch (default on Shuttle the long experience gained by ESA in flying flight ULF-2, but possibly on ULF-1.1 or ATV-1), similar facilities over the last two decades, and EMCS will be installed and checked out in offers scientific investigators new capabilities Express Rack #6 in Destiny.The facility for scientific research aboard the ISS. ■ operations and a first NASA experiment run during on-orbit commissioning will be remotely controlled by a joint NASA/ESA team from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Subsequently, control of European experiment runs will be delegated to

Drive motors.

The two plant rotors installed. on Station An EMCS Experiment Container. 21

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research CCrreaeatingting MMicricroogrgraavitvityy Europe’s Drop-Tower for Microgravity Research

Olivier Minster & Ewald Kufner ISS Utilisation and Promotion Division, D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email: [email protected],[email protected]

Introduction The drop-tower at the ‘Centre for Applied and Microgravity’ (Zentrum für Angewandte Raumfahrt Microgravitation, ZARM) in Bremen (D) is unique in Europe and provides up to 4.75 s of The 146 m ZARM tower in microgravity for Bremen provides scientists with experiments. ESA is currently brief periods of microgravity ... supporting four European teams using this facility for research into soot formation, droplet evaporation, material combustion, thermophoresis and diffusiophoresis. Gravity affects such physical phenomena on time scales from seconds to weeks. In particular, gravity-driven The ZARM drop tower. instabilities set in within a matter of seconds during experiments Japan, until last March and a new facility is involving steep density gradients. being built in Saskatchewan, Canada. So drop towers and their free-fall The best microgravity quality (10–5g) is periods lasting a few seconds are achieved by dropping capsules in vacuum to powerful research tools. exclude aerodynamic influences, with the Microgravity durations offered experiment hardware rigidly installed inside. by drop towers are inescapably ZARM, with limited by the height of the free- Europe’s largest fall being proportional to the drop facility, has time squared. About 2 s are such an evacuated achieved in 20 m-high facilities, shaft. typically using drops through air at using a drag The Drop-Tower Preparing the experiment shield to protect the experiment from air at ZARM ‘Soot Particle Growth of a friction and drag. For 10 s of microgravity, a In building the Diffusion Flame’using laser- 500 m-tall vertical facility is required. In order to drop-tower, ZARM induced incandescence. reach the terminal speed of about 100 m/s focused on without air drag affecting the quality of reducing the microgravity, the experiment is carried in an residual

on Station evacuated capsule that is propelled by gas accelerations as it speeds downwards. Braking the during the fall.The The set-up for studying how materials capsule requires another few hundred metres. team designed a burn in space.The windtunnel Typically, old mine shafts are exploited for such free-standing (arrowed) simulates typical airflow facilities: a 10 s shaft was operated in Hokkaido, 110 m-high, 6 m- aboard the Space Station. 22

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diameter vacuum chamber as the being supported by ESA at the moment. One drop shaft, protected from weather teams is investigating the soot concentration perturbations by a 146 m-tall concrete and primary particle sizes in flames by laser- tower. Eighteen pumps create a induced incandescence. Related experiments vacuum level of 10–5 Earth-atmosphere aim at understanding the production of soot in about 1.5 h so that the residual drag during combustion in order to help develop on the capsule is less than 10–5g by the cleaner diesel engines and to improve the end of the fall.The capsule is braked in production of carbon black. A second an 8 m-deep tank of polystyrene programme is looking at the combustion pellets. Equipment is mounted on properties of partially premixed fuel sprays, platforms specifically designed to including fuel droplets, droplet arrays and minimise oscillations at release and to spray vaporisation.The results are of interest to hold steady during the short braking companies producing turbine engines such as time.The whole shaft is then aircraft engines and power plant turbines. repressurised to recover the capsule. A third team is studying the combustion Up to three drops can be carried out properties of materials intended for space in a day. applications, as well as laminar flames When the capsule is at the top of representing fires in space.The scientists are the tower hanging over the shaft, all of developing methods to qualify space materials its functions can still be checked and and to fight fires on microgravity platforms. its parameters re-set. Release is Finally, a fundamental-physics programme is triggered either by the operator or the studying thermophoretic and diffusiophoretic experiment itself. All of the experiment effects by using digital holography, with the and housekeeping data are stored long-term goal of understanding how planets onboard. form. A unique excimer laser shining down from the top of the tower can Conclusion illuminate experiments as they hurtle The ZARM drop-tower is an indispensable tool down the shaft.The capsule’s for Europe to perform microgravity The capsule is dropped down the shaft. automatic alignment system maintains investigations on the ground. It is used to the position of the experiment zone relative to develop experiment hardware for other the laser.This is particularly valuable for microgravity platforms such as sounding combustion experiments because it allows the and the Space Station, and its excellent quantitative measurement of the concentration microgravity quality provides highly interesting of various gaseous species and solid particles. scientific data. By that, it complements ground Such measurements are crucial to studies, contributes to the development of understanding combustion processes. numerical modelling tools, helps to define key By the end of this year, a catapult will parameters for long-duration space become operational to fire capsules up from experiments and helps to evaluates results the bottom of the shaft, thereby doubling the from other microgravity platforms. ■ free-fall time.This will make the tower even more interesting to the scientific community.

ESA-Funded Experiments ESA continues to promote use of the Bremen tower Bremen among European scientists. It has enabled scientists to complete self- standing projects as well as complementing larger programmes employing aircraft parabolic flights, sounding rockets and the Space Station.The tower is so important to ESA and Europe that, on 2 October, a contract was The research team for signed with the ZARM FAB operating company ‘Phoretic Experiments using Digital Holography’,which to designate it as an ESA External Facility. looks at the motions of Preparing research programmes for the ISS

paraffin and sodium chloride on Station is now in full swing at the tower; four teams are particles in nitrogen. 23

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msm WWhahatt isis MSM-E?MSM-E? The Operations Department of MSM

Bob Chesson Head of Operations Department (MSM-E), D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email: [email protected]

Bob Chesson,Head of the Operations Department.

Introduction and Marshall centres, as well as to Mission The main responsibility of MSM-E is the Control in Moscow.The integration and testing operation and maintenance of ESA’s Space of both control centres is now under way and Station elements.These are mainly the to be operational by mid-2004. Preparations for Columbus module, the the ATV Jules Verne mission is gathering speed, MSM’s Operations Department Microgravity Facilities for with the development of the operations operates ESA’s ISS contributions Columbus (MFCs), the procedures, databases and documentation well and handles ATV production ... Laboratory Support advanced.The same is true for the Columbus Equipment (Microgravity assembly mission although the pace has Science Glove-box, MELFI and Hexapod) and relaxed somewhat owing to the delays the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).The stemming from the Columbia Shuttle accident. Department was formed in 2000 as the To gain operational experience for ATV and Exploitation Preparation Department and now Columbus, the Division provides the ground has 34 staff and 43 on-site support contractors segment, planning staff and flight and ground split between ESTEC and the ATV Control controllers for the European Soyuz missions. Centre in CNES Toulouse. MSM-E comprises four divisions: Payload Integration and Operations Division MSM-EP,headed by Aldo Petrivelli, is Operations Management Division responsible for the engineering and operations MSM-EO, managed by Hiltrud Pieterek, is the integration of payloads.This includes main interface with NASA’s ISS Program Office integrating the initial Columbus payloads, for operations management and integration. It including those from NASA.This work is provides the ESA flight directors for Columbus progressing well, with testing of the Biolab, assembly and integration, the ATV operations European Physiology Modules (EPM) and Fluid managers and the managers who control ESA’s Science Laboratory (FSL) on the Rack Level Test involvement in each ISS increment.The division Facility at EADS Space Transportation in is also responsible for developing the ESA Bremen (D) already completed.The European ground segment: the ATV and Columbus Drawer Rack (EDR) tests will be completed by control centres at CNES Toulouse and DLR the end of the year and those for the external Oberfaffenhofen, respectively; the ATV Crew payloads in 2004.The MFC and EDR racks will Trainer and Ground Simulator, already delivered be physically integrated into the Columbus to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) and flight model in Bremen in the first quarter of CNES Toulouse, respectively; the Columbus 2004 for interface testing, followed by a System crew trainers that are now in use in EAC and Validation Test (SVT) in March with the ground ; the ATV Test Facilities being used in segment.To gain confidence in the

on Station the qualification and acceptance programme compatibility of the NASA payloads with for ATV-1 ‘Jules Verne’; and the ground Columbus, NASA’s second Human Research communications network that interconnects Facility will be integrated into Columbus and the entire ground segment and provides the tested after the SVT. communications interfaces to NASA’s Johnson MSM-EP is also responsible for setting up 24

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and operating the User Support and retained to support the operational phase. Operations Centres (USOCs).Ten are planned as MSM-EA and Industry are analysing how best to interfaces to the users for engineering and transfer and centralise expertise, equipment, operations integration of their experiments into maintenance and troubleshooting capabilities the Station.The major USOCs (Facility to provide an affordable yet effective sustaining Responsible Centres, FRCs) are charged with engineering service for the lifetime of the ISS. operating ESA’s research facilities as part of the Meeting this challenge is a key to the overall decentralised scheme coordinated by the success of ESA’s ISS Exploitation Programme. Columbus Control Centre.These centres are now being outfitted with standardised Commercialisation Division communications and data processing The three divisions above require substantial equipment and their operations personnel are funding to carry out their activities, while the ready to support the SVT with Columbus and fourth is charged with generating revenue.This the MFC payloads in March. is MSM-EC, managed by Maurizio Belingheri. A The Division is also charged with the proviso attached by the ministers to their Columbus Control Centre operations during approval in 1999 of the ISS Exploitation payload commissioning and the actual Programme was that the Agency should exploit experiments. It will provide the ESA flight the commercial possibilities offered by a large directors to manage this work during the early orbiting infrastructure. Since then, MSM-EC has Columbus increments.To prepare for Columbus, been working hard to attract customers from MSM-EP is responsible for managing the different market segments to buy Station European Soyuz missions.Twenty-two resources and accommodation. It became experiments were performed during the apparent early on that one of the biggest Belgian mission, 21 during the Spanish flight obstacles was the lack of public knowledge of and 23 are being prepared for the Dutch the ISS and ESA’s part in it. mission of April 2004. An image-promotion drive was launched, accompanied ATV Production and Product Support Division by an ‘ISS branding’ MSM-EA is presently managed by Bob Chesson, campaign together with the the Department Head, until a separate division ISS Partners. In parallel, a manager is appointed. Its main responsibility is number of small-scale to manage production of the ATV craft ‘Pathfinder Projects’ have following development and the first flight. been launched with varying Another six ATV missions are planned between degrees of success to learn 2006 and 2013 to deliver supplies to the Station how to manage and exploit and periodically raise its orbit to combat commercial ventures atmospheric drag. A considerable amount of aboard the ISS. Despite some encouraging early From left: Hiltrud Pieterek, hardware for the ATV production phase has signs, ISS commercialisation is proving to be Aldo Petrivelli and Bob already been procured, either to avoid very difficult to achieve and it is apparent that, Chesson. obsolescence or to support ATV development without penetration by specialists into the by providing spare units for integration and various market segments, it will be impossible closed-loop testing of the guidance and to locate potential customers.To this end, navigation system. It is planned to sign the MSM-EC is in the process of selecting dedicated contract for full-scale production of ATVs by the ‘commercial agents’ in specific market end of the year. In addition, MSM-EA is segments, starting with biotechnology, to root responsible for procuring the Ariane-5s from out prospective customers. for launching the ATVs. The Division is also working hard to This Division has the space hardware implement the modern commercial business expertise of the Department and is therefore practices that are essential for attracting also charged with logistics support, commercial customers but are alien to any maintenance and sustaining engineering of all space agency more used to strict, formal the ESA elements of the ISS.The sustaining engineering disciplines. It has yet to be seen engineering is particularly daunting, bearing in whether we will succeed in generating a steady mind that many hundreds of companies have stream of revenue to enhance the Station’s been involved in developing the flight institutional funding but it will not be for want on Station elements and only a small fraction can be of trying! ■ 25

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infrastructure EExxerercisingcising CConontrtrolol European Control of Columbus and ATV Operations

Hiltrud Pieterek,Wim van Leeuwen, Jean-Christophe Ronnet & Herve Come Operations Management Division,Operations Department (MSM-E), D/MSM,ESTEC,PO Box 299,2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Email: [email protected]

Introduction the Payload Operations and Integration Center As the ISS is a truly international programme, (POIC) at the NASA Marshall Space Flight each ISS Partner controls its own elements, Center in Huntsville.The Col-CC and the vehicles and payloads from its own facilities. communications infrastructure support NASA coordinates the activities payload operations, including routing of Europe’s two principal ISS of the Partner centres and looks telecommands from the USOCs to Columbus, control centres will be ready after safety-critical operations. distribution of data, audio and video to the for operations in 2004 ... For Europe, control is exercised USOCs, and archiving of low- (S-band) and via the Columbus Control Centre medium-rate (Ku-band) telemetry, audio and (Col-CC, DLR/, D), the video. Col-CC can also accommodate users in Automated Transfer Vehicle Control Centre local payload operations rooms. (ATV-CC, CNES/Toulouse, F) and the Ground Columbus system and payload commands Communications are uplinked to Columbus via MCC-H. infrastructure. ESA Columbus telemetry is downlinked via S- and payload operations Ku-band to MCC-H and POIC, respectively, for will be conducted processing and collection by the from a number of communications networks. Other ISS data are User Support and received from MCC-H,POIC and the Russian Operations Centres MCC-M control centre in Moscow. (USOCs) located in Col-CC flight controllers will operate the different countries. Columbus module systems. Because Columbus The ESA Operations will carry a mixture of European and US Management Team experiment facilities requiring a wide range of will reside at ESTEC operating periods and degrees of interaction, it and the control is impossible to predict when Col-CC will be Col-CC is housed at DLR centres, while multiple industrial centres across required to change the system configuration. Oberpfaffenhofen. Europe will support the operations. Consequently, it is planned to operate continuously, in three shifts per day, once Columbus Operations Columbus is fully outfitted with experiments. DLR’s mission control building already has For attaching and commissioning Columbus experience with the Spacelab-D2 and – a phase with a tight timeline and many missions and has now been furnished with new critical operations – an integrated team of systems as the Columbus Control Centre. ESA flight controllers will monitor and control the signed the €37.7 million development contract Columbus activities.This team consists of flight with DLR on 31 March 2003 (Astrium is lead control personnel from DLR/German Space

on Station contractor); a further contract will cover Operations Centre, Astrium and ESA. Under the operations. Col-CC will operate the Columbus ESA lead flight director (a member of the laboratory in close cooperation with the Space Operations Management Team), the team is Station (MCC-H) at the already preparing for flight, including the NASA in Houston and development of flight rules, joint integrated 26

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A5: Ariane-5 EET: ESA Earth Terminal ESC: Engineering Support Centre GSC: HOSC: Huntsville Operations Support Center IGS: Interconnected Ground System NISN: NASA Integrated Services Network N/W: network PDSS: Payload Data Services System POIC:Payload Operations Integration Center SSCC: Space Station Control Center TsUP: Russian Flight Control centre (Other acronyms are explained in the text).

procedures between the Partners’ control communication with the Russian Zvezda centres, console handbooks, and ground module, additional routes are used: the radio procedures and displays. link during approach and docking, and a Bus connection while docked. Zvezda also provides ATV Operations video images to ATV-CC of the docking. ATV-CC uses a new building at CNES/Toulouse, ATV-CC hosts the major teams for preparing with primary and back-up control rooms. ESA and executing an ATV mission: the Flight signed the €16.1 million development contract Control Team, the ATV Operations Management with CNES in April 2003; a further contract will Team (which oversees the mission and ensures cover operations. the allocation of resources) and part of the ATV Although ATV is a highly automated Engineering Support Team (EST).The Flight spacecraft, some of its onboard functions need Control Team will work closely with MCC-M to be monitored and controlled by the ground. during the final stages of rendezvous. In particular, the flight dynamics will be shared ATV operations will follow the ATV Flight between the onboard software and the Operations Plan and the ISS Operations ground. A sophisticated set of flight guidance Detailed Daily Plan. ATV-CC will operate and navigation functions will be implemented continuously during free flight and docking, in the ATV-CC, in addition to the conventional and then support the scheduling during the monitoring and control functions. attached phase. Decisions for real-time actions Telecommands and telemetry between ATV in case of off-nominal situations will be and its Control Centre will be routed through coordinated with MCC-M, MCC-H and the ATV the US TDRS satellite network via MCC-H and Operations Management Team. the White Sands Ground Terminal (WSGT) in The Engineering Support Team consists of New Mexico, and the satellite via ESA’s ESA and Industry staff who were directly Redu tracking station in . For involved in developing ATV.They will assess ATV’s behaviour and advise the Flight Control Team and the Operations Management Team in case of off-nominal situations. ■ on Station The new ATV-CC building in Toulouse. 27

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On Station ISSN 1562-8019 For a free subscription or change of address, please send an email to [email protected] The Newsletter of ESA’s ESA Publications Division/SER-CP Directorate of Human Spaceflight ESTEC, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk,The Netherlands Fax: +31 71 565-5433 This newsletter is published by ESA Publications Division. It is free to all readers interested in ESA’s manned Editor: Andrew Wilson ([email protected]) spaceflight and microgravity activities. It can also be Contributing Writer: Graham T. Biddis seen via the website at http://esapub.esrin.esa.it/ Design & Layout: Eva Ekstrand & Carel Haakman

Revised English edition available now!

ISS Education Kit for Coming Soon students aged 12-15

Danish ESA has published an ISS Education Kit Dutch to meet the requirements for teaching Space and subjects related to the Finnish International Space Station to French European students, aged 12-15.

German The kit includes simple, modular and Italian interdisciplinary material based on existing European curricula, making it Norwegian suitable for teaching a wide range of Portuguese subjects.

Spanish Secondary school teachers: get your Swedish FREE copy of the Kit by signing up at www.esa.int/spaceflight/education International Space Station

The main objectives of the kit are to: • Introduce the ISS as a motivating and ideal tool for teaching; • Increase the awareness and interest in science and technology research in space among the youth; • Stimulate and creativity through active participation; • Highlight the important contributions being made by space technology and science to the well-being of society; • Focus on future, possible areas of and technology, as well as the importance of international cooperation and cross-cultural interaction.

For further information about the ISS Education Initiatives please visit: www.esa.int/spaceflight