alternatehistory.com
Europe in space (1)
ELDO and the space tug
March 1971
“…The present situation on post-Apollo is that Europe is studying the space tug as a possible European contribution, although this tug is recognised by most to suffer a fundamental drawback in that it will not provide any technology experience for the aircraft part of the industry, since it is essentially a space project.
Moreover, its European role might well be severely inhibited by the increasing interest the US military are taking in their own development of such a tug.
Scientific experiment modules, as part of the manned space station complex, have always seemed likely starters as projects of identifiable and integrated European activity and ESRO is pursuing with enthusiasm the possibility of such work being carried out.
Certain European companies are also pursuing more directly via bi-lateral arrangements with US industry Mission Boardub-contract possibilities in the shuttle development programme…
Europe already has a year-long affair with the space tug.
It all started on 14 October 1969, just a few months after NASA’s Apollo programme had successfully landed men on the moon, the European Science Committee of Senior Officials was addressed by NASA Administrator Dr Thomas Paine.
Paine sketched out the kind of programme that the new Nixon Administration had in mind for the next decade of space activities. The vision was grandiose and the means to achieve it ambitious. Paine made it clear on several occasions that the US would welcome European participation in this initiative. “We have in space”, he said, “a unique opportunity for a new step forward in international cooperation”.
And as Europe defined its objectives in ELDO and ESRO, the US would “welcome your suggestions as to new means whereby we can achieve a greater degree of cooperation between our proposed space programs and your own plans for European programs”.
The Committee of Alternates instructed ESRO and ELDO to study NASA’s proposal.A working group was set up with chairmen J.P. Causse and J. A. Dinkespiler.
Their report was ready in April 1970.
It reiterated the revolutionary nature of the programme proposed by Paine to which a new element had now been added, the space tug. The tug was a sort of Shuttle third stage, a (perhaps) manned vehicle intended to carry payloads beyond the Shuttle’s orbit, e.g. up to geostationary orbit.
The report suggested that Europe’s needs would best be served if her industry was able to cooperate in developing elements which were crucial to the system as a whole and sufficiently individualised for the management to be fully in European hands.
As for impact, it did not seem that Europe need adjust her scientific or application programmes to the new situation.
Since the Shuttle won't be scheduled to be routinely operational until the mid-1980s the Causse/Dinkespiler report insisted that a launcher such as Europa III, if available in 1978, would have an active life of a decade.
In any event they reported that Europe should only agree to participate in the entire effort if she was given firm guarantees that her missions would be launched.
Their views were laid before the fourth meeting of the European Space Conference which opened in Brussels in July 1970.
An interesting case was also made that, since the advanced cryogenic technology needed for Europa III could be used if Europe contributed the tug to the post-Apollo programme, one should go ahead with the initial work anyway.
It would not be wasted even if Europe eventually decided not to develop its own launcher. Being a third shuttle stage or an orbiter payload, the tug is an autonomous system with a rather small number of interfaces with the two first stages, compared to other systems which are part of the booster or orbiter.
These facts led the European Authorities in April 1970 to the decision to spend 5 Million dollar on a pre-phase-A-study for a European Space Tug.
Among a number of leading teams, two were selected to conduct a 6 months pre-phase-A-tug system study starting on July 15 June, 1970.
With the restriction on the use of LH2 and LOX as propellant combination, with an Isp equal to 450 sec and the shuttle performance of 22 t into 185 km altitude at 28.5° inclination and a payload volume of a 18 m long cylinder with a diameter of 4.5 m, the study made it clear that 6 t of payload could not be placed into geo-synchronous orbit launched by on shuttle flight with the tug returning to the orbiter orbit.
The traffic model investigation, however, showed that about four times in 10 years a 6 t payload would have to be launched into geo-synchronous orbit, in which case an expendable tug was assumed to be permissible.
In this case, the volume restriction in the orbiter payload bay would allow a payload density of about 50 kg/m3.
Thus, as of today (March 1971), the first European ideas about a space tug are available and in a hurried process of 6 months about 20 European firms have been forced to deal with the problems of the Post Apollo shuttle program.
This fact can be considered as the best possible preparation for a possible participation in the program with NASAIn the meantime a number of decisions have been made by NASA for the shuttle of which an important one was the orbiter payload increase due to the fact that, for the nominal version, airbreathing engines were abandoned.
Furthermore, NASA decided to conduct no special technical tug study during the year 1971 besides the investigation of some economical questions and the use of existing upper stages of conventional launching vehicles for space tug tasks .
These facts led ELDO to the decision to continue the pre-phase-A-tug studies for four months – up to May 1971 - in order to adjust the design concepts to the new shuttle performance. As this is the only special tug investigation at present, it was decided to extend the mission range to lunar and planetary missions also, i.e. including the possibility of manned missions.
As this pre-phase-A-study is practically a continuation of the past activity, two study contracts were awarded to the two teams led by HSD and MBB. The total funding is 0.4 million dollar.
Final results are expected at the end of July 1971.There is an 55 million dollar preparatory program for the EUROPA III launching vehicle under its way with an essential part of the cost being devoted to predevelopment work for the LH2/LOX upper stage of 20 t propellants - the H-20.
In October 1970 a consortia with the name of Cryorocket has been created. There the French SEP works with MBB.
As this stage is similar in size and nature to the tug so far no special technology activities were considered to be necessary.
For the second part of this year however, ELDO intend to start a special tug technology program. In this program, these problems will be studied which are not covered under the EUROPA III work, i.e. rendez-vous radar and laser, docking mechanism and meteoroid protection.
If the ESC/NASA cooperation is followed up, ELDO intention is to start a phase A tug study at about October/November 1971.
For this study ELDO has begun together with NASA to discuss the task definition and to define the input documents with respect to interfaces, safety, operations and shuttle performance.
Following this study it would be possible to enter into phase B during 1972 and to enter into phase C during 1973.
This timescale would fit very well into the present shuttle schedule which assumes a first shuttle flight for April 1978 and an IOC for mid-1979.
It would give Europe time enough for a development start on the tug as a contribution to the Post-Apollo program up to 1975 when DOD and NASA want to decide whether to select an existing upper stage as expendable tug as an interim solution or to go with their European partners right from the beginning.
The described preparation in Europe shows that the problem has been seriously considered and that the project picks up speed in accordance with the shuttle project in the United States.
March 1971
“…The present situation on post-Apollo is that Europe is studying the space tug as a possible European contribution, although this tug is recognised by most to suffer a fundamental drawback in that it will not provide any technology experience for the aircraft part of the industry, since it is essentially a space project.
Moreover, its European role might well be severely inhibited by the increasing interest the US military are taking in their own development of such a tug.
Scientific experiment modules, as part of the manned space station complex, have always seemed likely starters as projects of identifiable and integrated European activity and ESRO is pursuing with enthusiasm the possibility of such work being carried out.
Certain European companies are also pursuing more directly via bi-lateral arrangements with US industry Mission Boardub-contract possibilities in the shuttle development programme…
Europe already has a year-long affair with the space tug.
It all started on 14 October 1969, just a few months after NASA’s Apollo programme had successfully landed men on the moon, the European Science Committee of Senior Officials was addressed by NASA Administrator Dr Thomas Paine.
Paine sketched out the kind of programme that the new Nixon Administration had in mind for the next decade of space activities. The vision was grandiose and the means to achieve it ambitious. Paine made it clear on several occasions that the US would welcome European participation in this initiative. “We have in space”, he said, “a unique opportunity for a new step forward in international cooperation”.
And as Europe defined its objectives in ELDO and ESRO, the US would “welcome your suggestions as to new means whereby we can achieve a greater degree of cooperation between our proposed space programs and your own plans for European programs”.
The Committee of Alternates instructed ESRO and ELDO to study NASA’s proposal.A working group was set up with chairmen J.P. Causse and J. A. Dinkespiler.
Their report was ready in April 1970.
It reiterated the revolutionary nature of the programme proposed by Paine to which a new element had now been added, the space tug. The tug was a sort of Shuttle third stage, a (perhaps) manned vehicle intended to carry payloads beyond the Shuttle’s orbit, e.g. up to geostationary orbit.
The report suggested that Europe’s needs would best be served if her industry was able to cooperate in developing elements which were crucial to the system as a whole and sufficiently individualised for the management to be fully in European hands.
As for impact, it did not seem that Europe need adjust her scientific or application programmes to the new situation.
Since the Shuttle won't be scheduled to be routinely operational until the mid-1980s the Causse/Dinkespiler report insisted that a launcher such as Europa III, if available in 1978, would have an active life of a decade.
In any event they reported that Europe should only agree to participate in the entire effort if she was given firm guarantees that her missions would be launched.
Their views were laid before the fourth meeting of the European Space Conference which opened in Brussels in July 1970.
An interesting case was also made that, since the advanced cryogenic technology needed for Europa III could be used if Europe contributed the tug to the post-Apollo programme, one should go ahead with the initial work anyway.
It would not be wasted even if Europe eventually decided not to develop its own launcher. Being a third shuttle stage or an orbiter payload, the tug is an autonomous system with a rather small number of interfaces with the two first stages, compared to other systems which are part of the booster or orbiter.
These facts led the European Authorities in April 1970 to the decision to spend 5 Million dollar on a pre-phase-A-study for a European Space Tug.
Among a number of leading teams, two were selected to conduct a 6 months pre-phase-A-tug system study starting on July 15 June, 1970.
With the restriction on the use of LH2 and LOX as propellant combination, with an Isp equal to 450 sec and the shuttle performance of 22 t into 185 km altitude at 28.5° inclination and a payload volume of a 18 m long cylinder with a diameter of 4.5 m, the study made it clear that 6 t of payload could not be placed into geo-synchronous orbit launched by on shuttle flight with the tug returning to the orbiter orbit.
The traffic model investigation, however, showed that about four times in 10 years a 6 t payload would have to be launched into geo-synchronous orbit, in which case an expendable tug was assumed to be permissible.
In this case, the volume restriction in the orbiter payload bay would allow a payload density of about 50 kg/m3.
Thus, as of today (March 1971), the first European ideas about a space tug are available and in a hurried process of 6 months about 20 European firms have been forced to deal with the problems of the Post Apollo shuttle program.
This fact can be considered as the best possible preparation for a possible participation in the program with NASAIn the meantime a number of decisions have been made by NASA for the shuttle of which an important one was the orbiter payload increase due to the fact that, for the nominal version, airbreathing engines were abandoned.
Furthermore, NASA decided to conduct no special technical tug study during the year 1971 besides the investigation of some economical questions and the use of existing upper stages of conventional launching vehicles for space tug tasks .
These facts led ELDO to the decision to continue the pre-phase-A-tug studies for four months – up to May 1971 - in order to adjust the design concepts to the new shuttle performance. As this is the only special tug investigation at present, it was decided to extend the mission range to lunar and planetary missions also, i.e. including the possibility of manned missions.
As this pre-phase-A-study is practically a continuation of the past activity, two study contracts were awarded to the two teams led by HSD and MBB. The total funding is 0.4 million dollar.
Final results are expected at the end of July 1971.There is an 55 million dollar preparatory program for the EUROPA III launching vehicle under its way with an essential part of the cost being devoted to predevelopment work for the LH2/LOX upper stage of 20 t propellants - the H-20.
In October 1970 a consortia with the name of Cryorocket has been created. There the French SEP works with MBB.
As this stage is similar in size and nature to the tug so far no special technology activities were considered to be necessary.
For the second part of this year however, ELDO intend to start a special tug technology program. In this program, these problems will be studied which are not covered under the EUROPA III work, i.e. rendez-vous radar and laser, docking mechanism and meteoroid protection.
If the ESC/NASA cooperation is followed up, ELDO intention is to start a phase A tug study at about October/November 1971.
For this study ELDO has begun together with NASA to discuss the task definition and to define the input documents with respect to interfaces, safety, operations and shuttle performance.
Following this study it would be possible to enter into phase B during 1972 and to enter into phase C during 1973.
This timescale would fit very well into the present shuttle schedule which assumes a first shuttle flight for April 1978 and an IOC for mid-1979.
It would give Europe time enough for a development start on the tug as a contribution to the Post-Apollo program up to 1975 when DOD and NASA want to decide whether to select an existing upper stage as expendable tug as an interim solution or to go with their European partners right from the beginning.
The described preparation in Europe shows that the problem has been seriously considered and that the project picks up speed in accordance with the shuttle project in the United States.
- Archibald
- Word Count: 1.4k