New European capsule thread

[Stosh]

A new concept for Josef Aschbacher's,  eventual human rated, flight capability from Europe.

The NYX Capsule,  of The Exploration Company:

 

 

Fingers Crossed

[tater]

https://www.exploration.space/

Their math on the size of the market is... suspect, but cool, regardless, hope they can make it happen.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shpaget]

$50. That's what it would have cost them to hire a native english speaker.

[Scotius]

Meh. Nothing new, nothing revolutionary. Just another (questionably) pretty and artificially uplifting promotional video.

"Look at our pretty animation and send us money."

I will believe when I'll see some real hardware.

[kerbiloid]

The author should upgrade his shader skills. The capsule looks very KSP DIYish.

Also the clearance would kill the engines (let alone the fuel tank volume)

[SOXBLOX]

It seems like the entire reason for this capsule is to avoid flying on American vehicles. Somehow I doubt that that will be a strong motivator.

[kerbiloid]

4 hours ago, SOXBLOX said:

It seems like the entire reason for this capsule is to avoid flying on American vehicles. Somehow I doubt that that will be a strong motivator.

The entire reason of the whole US space program is to avoid flying on Russian and Chinese vehicles. Somehow I doubt that that will be a strong motivator.

Edited August 11, 2022 by kerbiloid

[SunlitZelkova]

5 hours ago, SOXBLOX said:

It seems like the entire reason for this capsule is to avoid flying on American vehicles. Somehow I doubt that that will be a strong motivator.

ESA is actually looking at crewed spacecraft proposals of their own, and a bunch of ESA astronauts sent a letter to the head of a commission (which I forget the name of) advocating for a European spacecraft. This resulting in a general agreement to study the prospects for a European crewed spacecraft.

The EU may not want to be left behind as a space power. That said, it still could end up the same as Hermes.

[tater]

They are flying a very miniature test capsule (~40kg) on an ISRO vehicle next year, and are flying a larger demo vehicle Q4 2024 on a Falcon 9 (~400kg).

Final vehicle is launcher agnostic, and will be 10-11 tons.

TPS for second vehicle.

[SunlitZelkova]

7 hours ago, tater said:

They are flying a very miniature test capsule (~40kg) on an ISRO vehicle next year, and are flying a larger demo vehicle Q4 2024 on a Falcon 9 (~400kg).

Final vehicle is launcher agnostic, and will be 10-11 tons.

TPS for second vehicle.

Okay wow. That’s impressive.

Hermes never got far enough to have tests like that.

That said, Japan’s HOPE did, with both scaled down reentry tests and gliders. So cancellation is still a possibility.

Another example of a program where tests got funded and then the main flights were cancelled was the Spiral spaceplane of the Soviet Union. It was deemed pointless once Buran got rolling.

So if Europe (or anyone for that matter) ever wakes up and tries to build their own competitor to Starship, we could see this capsule get cancelled without flying.

[tater]

I had thought this project was all powerpoint, but the fact they are actually bending metal is nice to see.

[tater]

Made a mistake, the SpaceX test article is not 400kg, it is 1.6 tons.

[kerbiloid]

Just rewatched the OP video.

So, they are planning to send a robotic arm with a human head inside?

[DDE]

On 11/14/2023 at 7:12 PM, tater said:

Final vehicle is launcher agnostic

That would be a first. Perhaps it would be amendable to any launch vehicle... so long as it's Ariane 6?

[tater]

10 minutes ago, DDE said:

That would be a first. Perhaps it would be amendable to any launch vehicle... so long as it's Ariane 6?

I listened to one of them on a podcast. Also Falcon 9, or Vulcan (if crew rated), or NG, etc.

This is a private outfit. Their first test flight is ISRO, second is Falcon 9.

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

NYX = New Yeuropean Xapsule.

 

[tater]

Image in link looks nothing like what is current on their website.

[kerbiloid]

9 hours ago, tater said:

Image in link looks nothing like what is current on their website.

?

https://www.exploration.space/nyx

It looks same, but reentring.

[tater]

15 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

It looks same, but reentring.

Exactly the same, yes

 

 

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by kerbiloid

[Scotius]

Oh, there IS some real hardware?

Wow.

Maybe wonders will never cease? Maybe this thing will actually fly one day?

[Codraroll]

1 hour ago, Scotius said:

Oh, there IS some real hardware?

Wow.

Maybe wonders will never cease? Maybe this thing will actually fly one day?

I think the "System requirement review" is long before any hardware production. They have basically just finalized a list of specifications the design needs to meet, and now they are ready to start designing it.

It will probably fly before the Orel, though.

[kerbiloid]

2 hours ago, Codraroll said:

It will probably fly before the Orel, though.

For sure, like all previously existing European crewed ships, like Hotol, Hermes, Saenger, etc...

[tater]

6 hours ago, Scotius said:

Maybe wonders will never cease? Maybe this thing will actually fly one day?

 

2 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

For sure, like all previously existing European crewed ships, like Hotol, Hermes, Saenger, etc...

One useful factor for them is that they are designing it to be launch vehicle agnostic. So at the very least it can fly on F9, which unlike the other potential vehicles actually exists.

[Codraroll]

2 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

For sure, like all previously existing European crewed ships, like Hotol, Hermes, Saenger, etc...

Yup, all of which have - individually, even - raked up the same number of flight hours as Orel.