ESA asks for proposals on building its own space station
The European Space Agency (ESA) last week issued an open call for proposals outlining the construction of its own space station, independent of the five American stations presently in development to replace ISS.
On 27 February, ESA published an intended call for tenders for two Pre-Phase A studies under Scenario 3. According to the call, the studies will consolidate the “feasibility, architecture, utilisation, and technology requirements of a European-led LEO outpost” and propose cooperation with the Canadian Space Agency, Japan’s national space agency JAXA, and “additional partners.” The results of the two parallel studies will be used to enable ESA decision-making for its post-ISS transition by the end of 2026.
Do not expect these “studies” to produce a European-led space station any time soon. It is the ESA way to do lots of studies, and then after reading these to do more detailed follow-up studies outlining what they will do. Then, after years of review, it might finally get started on construction, which always proceeds somewhat slowly.
In the meantime, ESA has signed agreements with three of the five American space station projects (Axiom, Starlab, Vast), with its deal with the Starlab station the most extensive. All three deals leave open the possibility that Europe will rent time at each station to fly experiments and astronauts there.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The European Space Agency (ESA) last week issued an open call for proposals outlining the construction of its own space station, independent of the five American stations presently in development to replace ISS.
On 27 February, ESA published an intended call for tenders for two Pre-Phase A studies under Scenario 3. According to the call, the studies will consolidate the “feasibility, architecture, utilisation, and technology requirements of a European-led LEO outpost” and propose cooperation with the Canadian Space Agency, Japan’s national space agency JAXA, and “additional partners.” The results of the two parallel studies will be used to enable ESA decision-making for its post-ISS transition by the end of 2026.
Do not expect these “studies” to produce a European-led space station any time soon. It is the ESA way to do lots of studies, and then after reading these to do more detailed follow-up studies outlining what they will do. Then, after years of review, it might finally get started on construction, which always proceeds somewhat slowly.
In the meantime, ESA has signed agreements with three of the five American space station projects (Axiom, Starlab, Vast), with its deal with the Starlab station the most extensive. All three deals leave open the possibility that Europe will rent time at each station to fly experiments and astronauts there.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News