MULTI-ROLE RECOVERY CAPSULE [BAe,1987]
Notes:
Britain was the only European Space Agency member opposed to ESA's ambitious man-in-space plan, and the British conservative government refused to approve the November 1987 plan. However, the British aerospace industry did propose some interesting alternatives, such as the $2-billion “Multi-Role Recovery Capsule” shown here. British Aerospace Ltd. (BAe) regarded the French Hermés mini-Shuttle as too expensive and complicated. Instead, they felt a simple crew capsule would make more sense as an 8-man “lifeboat” for Space Station Freedom (NASA issued a competitive request for proposals in late 1987). MRC was to be launched on the existing Ariane-40 rocket and the capsule could be flown manned or unmanned, for sensitive microgravity experiments in orbit.
