Jacques van Oene
April 23rd 05, 01:44 PM
Longer duration space missions
22 April 2005
The Shuttle's return to flight is fast approaching. On 6 April, Discovery
arrived on its launch pad. The first mission since the catastrophe in
February 2003 is now scheduled for mid-May.
The resumption of flights is of great importance for the International Space
Station. It will allow more frequent service visits to pursue the
construction of the orbital complex and allow long duration missions for
three astronauts - instead of two.
One European astronaut in particular is looking forward to this moment.
Thomas Reiter won't be leaving on Discovery in May but he is due to stay six
to seven months in the Station. He has been outlining his forthcoming
mission to the EuroNews 'Space' magazine.
Thomas Reiter and his backup, French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, are both
members of the corps of European astronauts. They have been training
together for the long duration mission at various sites, including Star City
near Moscow: language lessons, theoretical and practical study classes and
survival exercises.
"Our days of training here are long and finish only when we are absolutely
ready for the next phase of the preparation," explains Thomas Reiter. "There
is so much to do that we are often working at weekends. In this business,
one needs to be dedicated and have a lot of motivation."
But Reiter is an old hand at the game. Aged 47, the test pilot and squadron
leader now specialised in aerospace technology, is qualified to fly both in
the Russian Soyuz capsules and aboard the American Shuttle.
In 1995, Reiter was a flight engineer on the Euromir-95 mission, spending
179 days in the Russian Mir orbital complex. On that occasion he made two
space walks. It was an exceptionally long stay in space for a European
astronaut, surpassed only once by France's Jean Pierre Haigneré who stayed
188 days.
"Being in weightlessness for a long period, with each day exceptional views
of our planet, is fascinating. On a long duration mission in a space
station, looking out of the portholes, one feels very much at home."
Reiter and Eyharts are not the only ones looking forward to the Shuttle's
return to flight, the next steps in the ISS construction and the prospect of
long duration missions.
Each manned space flight is an occasion to increase European competences.
For instance, all the operational teams at ESA's Columbus control centre
located at Germany's DLR space agency at Oberpfaffenhoffen near Munich were
at their consoles on 15 April for the start of the Eneide mission.
Roberto Vittori's lift-off from Baïkonour for his ten-day mission to the
International Space Station was followed with great attention. The centre
will be at the heart of activities once ESA's Columbus laboratory module has
been launched and is part of the orbital complex, providing Europe with a
unique science laboratory.
"Before Columbus is launched, this centre is focussed mainly on the control
and coordination of European experiments flying on the ISS," explains Jens
Schiemann, ESA manager at Oberpfaffenhoffen. "Some experiments are
controlled directly by investigator teams in their laboratories, but overall
coordination is managed here."
Each short mission, such as Roberto Vittori's, is an opportunity to test
flight and in-orbit procedures for longer and more complex ones. The DLR
centre also expects much more attention from the public.
"Thomas Reiter's next long duration mission is certain to increase public
awareness, particularly in Germany, for what we are doing and space
activities in general," says DLR's Thomas Kuch, deputy director of the
control centre.
The Shuttle's return to flight is thus a major step not just for the United
States but for all the partners of the International Space Station. Longer
duration missions and the arrival of the Columbus laboratory will be the
next steps in this exciting adventure.
But when relaxing and playing his guitar, Thomas Reiter dreams of an even
further future.
"A journey to our nearest neighbour Mars cannot exactly be compared to a
long duration flight in the ISS in orbit around the Earth. But if I let
myself go, and imagine having my two feet on the Martian soil, then I feel a
kind of exhilaration and I'm really excited about the future of
spaceflight."
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
22 April 2005
The Shuttle's return to flight is fast approaching. On 6 April, Discovery
arrived on its launch pad. The first mission since the catastrophe in
February 2003 is now scheduled for mid-May.
The resumption of flights is of great importance for the International Space
Station. It will allow more frequent service visits to pursue the
construction of the orbital complex and allow long duration missions for
three astronauts - instead of two.
One European astronaut in particular is looking forward to this moment.
Thomas Reiter won't be leaving on Discovery in May but he is due to stay six
to seven months in the Station. He has been outlining his forthcoming
mission to the EuroNews 'Space' magazine.
Thomas Reiter and his backup, French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, are both
members of the corps of European astronauts. They have been training
together for the long duration mission at various sites, including Star City
near Moscow: language lessons, theoretical and practical study classes and
survival exercises.
"Our days of training here are long and finish only when we are absolutely
ready for the next phase of the preparation," explains Thomas Reiter. "There
is so much to do that we are often working at weekends. In this business,
one needs to be dedicated and have a lot of motivation."
But Reiter is an old hand at the game. Aged 47, the test pilot and squadron
leader now specialised in aerospace technology, is qualified to fly both in
the Russian Soyuz capsules and aboard the American Shuttle.
In 1995, Reiter was a flight engineer on the Euromir-95 mission, spending
179 days in the Russian Mir orbital complex. On that occasion he made two
space walks. It was an exceptionally long stay in space for a European
astronaut, surpassed only once by France's Jean Pierre Haigneré who stayed
188 days.
"Being in weightlessness for a long period, with each day exceptional views
of our planet, is fascinating. On a long duration mission in a space
station, looking out of the portholes, one feels very much at home."
Reiter and Eyharts are not the only ones looking forward to the Shuttle's
return to flight, the next steps in the ISS construction and the prospect of
long duration missions.
Each manned space flight is an occasion to increase European competences.
For instance, all the operational teams at ESA's Columbus control centre
located at Germany's DLR space agency at Oberpfaffenhoffen near Munich were
at their consoles on 15 April for the start of the Eneide mission.
Roberto Vittori's lift-off from Baïkonour for his ten-day mission to the
International Space Station was followed with great attention. The centre
will be at the heart of activities once ESA's Columbus laboratory module has
been launched and is part of the orbital complex, providing Europe with a
unique science laboratory.
"Before Columbus is launched, this centre is focussed mainly on the control
and coordination of European experiments flying on the ISS," explains Jens
Schiemann, ESA manager at Oberpfaffenhoffen. "Some experiments are
controlled directly by investigator teams in their laboratories, but overall
coordination is managed here."
Each short mission, such as Roberto Vittori's, is an opportunity to test
flight and in-orbit procedures for longer and more complex ones. The DLR
centre also expects much more attention from the public.
"Thomas Reiter's next long duration mission is certain to increase public
awareness, particularly in Germany, for what we are doing and space
activities in general," says DLR's Thomas Kuch, deputy director of the
control centre.
The Shuttle's return to flight is thus a major step not just for the United
States but for all the partners of the International Space Station. Longer
duration missions and the arrival of the Columbus laboratory will be the
next steps in this exciting adventure.
But when relaxing and playing his guitar, Thomas Reiter dreams of an even
further future.
"A journey to our nearest neighbour Mars cannot exactly be compared to a
long duration flight in the ISS in orbit around the Earth. But if I let
myself go, and imagine having my two feet on the Martian soil, then I feel a
kind of exhilaration and I'm really excited about the future of
spaceflight."
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info