The Franco-German start-up The Exploration Company was appointed at the end of May by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a capsule capable of transporting cargo and people into space. It is currently testing prototypes in Airbus Defense and Space premises.
Space exploration is becoming increasingly privatized, and Europe is lagging behind. Currently, it depends on American cargo ships to resupply the International Space Station. But Europe intends to catch up. The ESA, the European Space Agency, has entrusted a Franco-German start-up to design the next European cargo ship in order to gain autonomy. This company, called The Exploration Company, was founded only three years ago and has big ambitions.
“At the moment, flying European astronauts is very expensive for Europe because we are completely dependent on American prices. We have the ambition to offer a cheaper capsule and to be completely autonomous at European level.“, explains Eric Miquel, Head of Assembly, Integration and Tests at The Exploration Company. The start-up has named its future vessel NYX.
It employs around a hundred people spread over two sites, in Munich (Germany), and in Mérignac, in Gironde and is currently carrying out tests in the Toulouse region, in the premises of Airbus Defense and Space.
From May to July, NYX prototypes are put to the test to verify their reliability in the event of space travel.
“We check the sizing and qualification of the equipment according to the environment that the capsule will encounter during its journey into space.“, explains Guillaume Dusardier, head of mechanical architecture at the start-up. This version should be tested in space next year.
Objective: to be able to put its new cargo capsule into service by 2028. Facing it, a competitor already a leader in space resupply: the capsule “Dragon” from Space X. This future European capsule must be able to bring and bring back equipment, food, astronauts, and be reusable, whether for civil or military use.
The stakes are high. “By 2030, the international station, already aging, will no longer exist. It will have been desorbed. At least four stations are being developed by private companies, particularly American ones, and vehicles are needed to be able to supply them, both with equipment and with men. So there is a real demand” loves Eric Miquel.
The European technological capacity to send cargo and people into space also depends on its ability to participate in the major choices for the future of life in space, as Jon Reijneveld, one of the co-founders of The Exploration Company, explains: “It is important to be able to go there ourselves in order to be able to take part in the discussions. If we are not able to do so, it will be the Americans and the Chinese who will decide without us.“. He considers it important that Europe has its say if it does not want to be completely out of the game.
