Astrium and ESA Sign Contract for Development of Exploration Support Vehicle

EADS ASTRIUM - PRESS RELEASE:

Astrium, the preeminent aerospace company of Europe, has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop its Exploration Support Vehicle as a part of the multinational Constellation programme. The contract was signed today in Berlin (Germany), in the presence of Brigitte Zypries,  Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

The contract, valued at approximately 450 million euros, provides an indispensable component to the American-led space project. The Exploration Support Vehicle (ESV) will serve as a systems test facility and resupply vessel for future interplanetary space missions. The new spacecraft will build on the success of the Automated Transfer Vehicle, which has to date conducted three flawless missions to the International Space Station.

Artistic rendering of the EADS Astrium Exploration Support Vehicle.

“The signing of this contract indicates the continuing triumph of our prowess in the aerospace industry. Astrium has repeatedly demonstrated its technological expertise and capacity to produce high-quality space systems in accordance with its schedule and budget,” said Eric Beranger, CEO. “Astrium is happy to now continue its investment in European technologies. The resounding accomplishments of our ATV programme enhance our confidence as we commit to developing Europe’s global role in the field of human space flight.”

Preliminary level system designs were approved by the ESA in October 2013, leading the way towards the completion of the detailed definition design phase. Early hardware prototyping has begun in order to support this developmental effort. The ESA will approve the final detailed design in 2015, at which point Astrium will enter into the qualification and production phase for its first vehicles.

The first flight of the ESV is anticipated to occur in 2018 in service of the “Exploration Mission-2.” In this mission, a four-person crew of astronauts will travel to the Langrangian point of the Moon using the Orion space capsule built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. The ESV will be delivered by the first flight of NASA's new Ares II rocket. Orion will then connect to the ESV near the Moon, where its crew will perform experiments of life support technologies to be used for future space voyages. This mission will achieve qualification of both the Orion spacecraft and the ESV in tandem with human operators in space. Future interplanetary missions shall involve the ESV to provide food and water storage for astronauts over long durations of time.

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