ESA APPROACH AND PLANNING FOR PREPARING THE EUROPEAN ENGAGEMENT IN HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT AND EXPLORATION POST 2020

摘要

ESA's human spaceflight programme is currently focusing on the exploitation of ISS. Significant technological and research achievements have been realised within this programme at the level of the ISS partnerships and within Europe. Important decisions regarding ISS have been taken at the last ESA Meeting at Ministerial level held in November 2012 paving the way for European participation in ISS Exploitation up to 2020. The approval of the European development of the Service Module for the NASA Crew Exploration Vehicle (MPCV), within the framework of an ISS barter agreement, creates for the first time a role for Europe in human transportation. This decision does not only contribute to stabilising the ESA ISS Exploitation Programme up to 2020, but also opens up new perspectives for ESA's role in human missions targeting destinations beyond LEO. The ESA Long Term Plan outlines two programmatic lines for human spaceflight post 2020: