Europe targets manned spaceship
The European Space Agency has asked industry to work out the requirements of the craft and its likely cost. Known as the Advanced Re-Entry Vehicle, it would be developed in phases - first as an unmanned vessel to carry cargo, and then as an astronaut crew ship. At the moment, Europe has no independent capability to transport humans into space and must hitch rides on American or Russian systems. Tuesday's announcement is just the start of a very long process, and there is no guarantee either ARV variant will be built.
The ARV would essentially be an upgraded version of Europe's highly successful unmanned space freighter, known by another acronym - ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle). This 20-tonne vessel flew a maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) last year.
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