ESA “VIKING” CREW RESCUE VEHICLE
Notes:
“Viking” Crew Rescue Vehicle (1994). The conical “Viking” capsule would have reentered base-first like the Apollo design, but its aerodynamic shape had a slightly better lift-to-drag ratio of 0.4. “Viking” was investigated concurrently with the Apollo-derived capsule during Phase 1 in 1992-93 and definition work continued until March 1995 when the Phase 1 study ended.
“Viking” Crew Rescue Vehicle (1996). The version shown here would use a cylindrical propulsion module derived from the Ariane Transfer Vehicle. ESA cancelled the $1.7-billion project in late 1995 but still awarded a $66-million two year study contract to appease the French. The project's only direct legacy is the $60-million experimental subscale “Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator” capsule which flew successfully in 1997. But the European Space Agency instead decided to join the American X-38 Crew Rescue Project, after the CRV Phase A study was completed in May 1996.
