Europe's Plans for Man in Space - Europe and the International Space Station as the Space Shuttle returns to orbit

1. The January 2003 flight of the Columbia Space Shuttle ended tragically with the break-up of the Orbiter and the death of the seven crew members. The first Shuttle flight since then, the so-called Shuttle Return to Flight (RTF) mission, is scheduled for lift-off during a window lasting from May 15 to June 3. In response to the recommendations of the accident investigation board, major changes have been incorporated into the Shuttle Discovery for the mission, including a redesigned External Tank, new sensors and a boom that will allow astronauts to inspect the Shuttle for any potential damage. Bob Chesson will provide the latest news from Cape Canaveral as this critical launch approaches.

2. Although not directly involved in the Shuttle, Europe is very much involved in the International Space Station (ISS) which depends heavily on the Shuttle for its construction and maintenance. The European contribution to ISS is managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and includes the Columbus science module, associated payload facilities, the giant Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), the European Robotic Arm (ERA) plus the European Astronauts. The impact of the Columbia accident on Europe’s plans will be discussed.

3. Beyond ISS - Exploration and ESA's involvement. ESA's Aurora Exploration Programme, currently in its preparatory phase, has as its first step the robotic exploration of Mars. It aims to deepen scientific knowledge of the Martian environment and address technological challenges. ExoMars, the first Aurora Flagship mission to be assessed, would characterise the biological environment on Mars and involves a Mars orbiter, a descent module and a Mars rover.

Educated at QMC London, Bob Chesson started his career at BAe Space Systems Bristol before joining ESA in 1974. He is currently Head of the Human Spaceflight Operations Department in which role he represents Europe on the ISS Operations Board - the decision-making body for all ISS operations. He also manages the production of six giant Automated Transfer Vehicles that will resupply ISS. Earlier in his career Bob held management positions in science and application satellite programmes including the 1986 Giotto Halley’s comet mission, and spent 3 years leading the European Spacelab team at NASA in Huntsville and Houston.