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Home | Update | LATEST ISSUE | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 12/98

GERMAN SPACE FLIGHT TAKES CENTRE STAGE

What ten years ago seemed unthinkable, will become reality in the near future! Across the old political borders today's partners are implementing a vision of the superlative: The International Space Station.

Following about 40 transport and crew missions the International Space Station will be set up in Space by the year 2003. The project will be realised under the guidance of NASA. Also participating are Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe. This global co-operation of nations in Space Flight is a big challenge for everyone involved. The co-existence of Western and Eastern space station plans has given way to a joint concept.

Under the auspices of the space station's joint concept, Europe will construct amongst other things a laboratory module (Columbus Orbital Facility) and a transport vehicle (Automated Transfer Vehicle), which will supply the station with equipment, consumables and fuel. It will also help to correct the orbit.

For German Space Flight the International Space Station will be the central focus for activity in the next years. Germany will make approx. 2.5 billion DM of the government's research budget available until 2003 which represents 41 per cent of the European development component. Subsequent running costs will be about DM 200 million per annum. The DLR's motto "Design to Budget" will be given top priority.

Germany's involvement in the International Space Station also demonstrates the logical exploitation of experience gained during the international Spacelab-Missions D1 and D2 and the MIR-Missions in 1992 and 1997.

As far as German interests are concerned, these represent areas in which we have a high reputation internationally. Areas of application will be human medicine, material economics, communications and navigation technology, earth and extraterrestrial observation and robotics. Germany believes these areas have the greatest scientific and technological potential. We need to specify targets for use and prepare projects with economic significance.

With the current Spacelab and MIR-Missions the industrial exploitation was limited. With the Space Station we have the possibility to carry out more research, which is application orientated, because of the regular availability of the station. This is why the DLR is putting together an action plan for application orientated research, in which industry has a financial stake.

In addition to this the DLR is co-operating with Dasa to work out a concept that will allow European Industry to be involved in commissioning the Space Station and, at a later date, take over the task entirely. Conditions for the feasibility of this concept include a marked reduction in costs coupled with industry risk sharing.

Use of the Space Station depends on a broad-based consensus. We need a new quality of co-operation between politics, the economy and industrial development. All in all we need a professional partnership of responsibility and division of labour for innovative products and services in Germany.

The DLR and the other Space Flight partners should follow the construction of the International Space Station with pride for what has been achieved so far and with courage in the face of future challenges.

From page 39 of FLUG REVUE 12/98