Thales Alenia Space - LEO Cargo Return Service

[jarmumd]

https://spacenews.com/esa-selects-thales-alenia-space-and-the-exploration-company-for-commercial-cargo-program/

https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-signed-contract-european-space-agency-develop-low-earth-orbit

Interesting to me that they put a mockup of the Apollo probe on top of their mockup capsule.  Interesting because I would either have expected nothing, or an IDSS style of ring and petals.  It seems like an intentional choice.

[Danderman]

It's hard to tell much about the docking system from the photo.

I don't know why the headline is about cargo return, when cargo delivery is involved, too.

[TheKutKu]

It's hard to tell much about the docking system from the photo.

I don't know why the headline is about cargo return, when cargo delivery is involved, too.

"LEO Cargo Return Service" is the official name of the ESA program
https://esastar-publication-ext.sso.esa.int/ESATenderActions/details/72306

[HMXHMX]

It's hard to tell much about the docking system from the photo.

I don't know why the headline is about cargo return, when cargo delivery is involved, too.

Looks like an Apollo-style probe & drogue to me.  That would require a new port to be installed somewhere on ISS.

[JosepVirgili]

Seems to be a photo of an old mockup (photo uploaded May 12th, 2013):
https://sciencephotogallery.com/featured/space-capsule-mark-williamson.html

[Danderman]

What would this capsule launch on?

[Danderman]

I assume that the plan is to convert this to a piloted vehicle Some Day.

[StraumliBlight]

I assume that the plan is to convert this to a piloted vehicle Some Day.

Thales Alenia Space's website

The vehicle and associated ground infrastructure will be compatible with the evolution towards crew transportation to human outposts in LEO, as well as cargo return service from the Gateway space station in cis-lunar orbit.

[HMXHMX]

Interesting to me that they put a mockup of the Apollo probe on top of their mockup capsule. Interesting because I would either have expected nothing, or an IDSS style of ring and petals. It seems like an intentional choice.

Looks like an Apollo-style probe & drogue to me. That would require a new port to be installed somewhere on ISS.

Seems to be a photo of an old mockup (photo uploaded May 12th, 2013):

It is not an Apollo Docking Mechanism nor will NASA be installing one on the space station.

In 2013, ATV was still flying (with its Russian SSVP / RDS probe and drogue docking system). It likely made sense, at the time, for Thales Alenia to go with the space proven solution (SSVP / RDS) that they had direct exposure to / a supplier for.

Now that the political and technological winds have shifted (global events and IDSS becoming the defacto standard for Gateway and commercial stations), the capsule will adopt IDSS.

https://spacenews.com/esa-selects-thales-alenia-space-and-the-exploration-company-for-commercial-cargo-program/

Thales Alenia Space, one of Europe’s largest space companies, is offering a capsule that is says will be compatible with the ISS and commercial space stations as well as the lunar Gateway

This looks far more like the Apollo vs. the ATV version: