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ESA MTFF-Derived Space Station

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ESA MTFF-Station
ESA MTFF-Derived Space Station. This illustration from 1987 shows a typical configuration of the Columbus Man-Tended Free-Flying (MTFF) platform. The Hermés mini-shuttle would have been used to ferry astronauts.
Credit: ESA via Marcus Lindroos

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Status: Study 1987.

The Hermes mini-shuttle would have been used to ferry astronauts to it from Earth while a new docking node would have housed life support for a permanent crew (the MTFF did not carry such equipment). Finally, a crew escape vehicle capsule would have been added to return the astronauts safely in an emergency. But these grandiose plans were eventually cancelled in 1991-93.

First, the MTFF's launch was postponed repeatedly, first from 1999 to 2001 and then to 2003. The 1991 Space Station Freedom redesign also made the MTFF totally dependent on Hermes since the Space Station no longer would be capable of servicing free-flying space platforms. In November 1991, ESA decided that the maximum cost of the MTFF and Columbus Attached Pressurized Module would be $5.3 billion in 1992-2005. By this time, the estimated costs to completion had increased by 40.5% for Hermes (17.5% due to technical changes, 23% caused by the four-year stretch), 14.2% for Columbus (as a result of the stretch and design changes mandated by cuts in the US Space Station funding) and 5.7% to Ariane-5 due to technical changes. At the same time, unforeseen events in 1987-91 (German unification, the Gulf War, European integration costs, lower-than-hoped-for economic growth) translated to 24% lower funding for approved ESA programs. 'The days of 'blazing the path to space' for the glory of Europe are now behind us,' one German manager told Aviation Week and Space Technology.

Article by Marcus Lindroos

• Mir-2 joint use with ESA discussed - . Nation: Russia. Spacecraft: ESA MTFF-Derived Space Station, Mir-2, Space Station Freedom. Further financial difficulties in Russia and uncertainties with America's Freedom space station led Russia and the European Space Agency to open discussions on joint development and use of Mir-2..