Slide 54 of 99
Notes:
After Congress effectively cancelled the HL-20, NASA briefly examined using the French “Hermés” mini-shuttle and off-the-shelf Russian Soyuz capsules as the Space Station's lifeboat before finally settling for the in-house cheaperfasterbetter” X-38 design. This vehicle is based on the old X-23/X-24A lifting body which was extensively tested in the 1960s. The total cost is estimated to be approximately $1 billion.
The X-38 will return all six International Space Station astronauts to Earth in an emergency. In March 1998, the total expected program cost to the first reentry test from orbit was $280 million, plus $150 million for a Shuttle launch. Production of four operational CRVs plus a fifth for ground training would cost $500 million. The 8.7m long vehicle will weigh 9.072t and have an in-orbit lifetime of five years.
The X-38 descent profile is shown here. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been the giant landing parafoil which will provide a pinpoint vertical landing capability. The first landing tests were carried out in 1998-99 and the vehicle will be fully operational in 2003. .
The European Space Agency is playing an increasingly big part in the X-38
project. NASA is hoping that ESA eventually will develop an X-38 Crew
Transfer Vehicle version that could be launched on the Ariane-5 rocket.
President George W. Bush's recent decision to at least temporarily suspend
the Crew Rescue Vehicle may translate to additional opportunities for the
European partners. E.g., Europe may receive additional seats on future
International Space Station missions as long as ESA agrees to pay for the
CRV.