Hermès Space Shuttle

[southwestforests]

FYI. Hermes is not a "Space Shuttle". It is a winged spacecraft or spaceplane.

The way ESA itself talks about Hermes can lead a person to find both terms acceptable,

In the early 1980s, the French space agency CNES started investigating a small spaceplane design to be launched on an Ariane rocket. It was envisioned that Hermes would service a small space station, the Man-Tended Free Flyer (MTFF), built primarily by German and Italian industry under ESA's Columbus programme.

By 1984, Hermes had evolved into a 'mini' space shuttle capable of carrying a crew of 4-6 plus a 4500 kg payload in its cargo bay. This was too heavy for the existing Ariane 4 launch vehicle, so CNES began looking at uprated Ariane versions for the 1990s. Hermes development was a major driver in the specification for ESA's new Ariane 5 launcher.

History: Hermes spaceplane, 1987

Hermes, 1987: Hermes was to have been part of a manned spaceflight programme providing independent European manned access to space. Designed to take three astronauts to orbits of up to 800 km altitude on missions of 30 to 90 days, the Hermes spaceplane would have been launched using the Ariane 5...

www.esa.int

Spaceplane does fit as the proper term for the thing and is the term most seen,
for instance,

ESA's Hermes manned spaceplane was planned to service the Columbus Man-Tended Free-Flyer and the International Space Station Columbus Attached Laboratory. The project was approved at the Ministerial Meeting in November 1987; the meeting of November 1992 reoriented Hermes into a technology programme. [Image Date: 1990-00-00] [91.03.017-001]

Hermes cutaway

Hermes cutaway

www.esa.int

Hermes was intended to provide independent European manned access to space. Designed to take three astronauts to orbits of up to 800 km altitude on missions of 30–90 days, the spaceplane would have been launched using the Ariane 5 rocket.

Hermes spaceplane

Hermes spaceplane

www.esa.int

 

[TheKutKu]

Yes, Avion Spatial/Spaceplane was the preferred term. That's what most of the official publications at the time used (ESA Bulletin...),

Avion Spatial Hermes (ASH, HSP in english) also became the official name for the forward, recoverable part of Hermes.




While alternatives occasionaly appeared there are sources that say that the term shuttle was disliked.

 

[Michel Van]

FYI. Hermes is not a "Space Shuttle". It is a winged spacecraft or spaceplane. The Space Shuttle was a launch vehicle.

you absolutely right, Byeman

Sadly they promoted the 1983 version of Hermes as the French [Space] Shuttle in french media and Press Release.
From 1987 it became official ESA program still label Shuttle not Glider in Press Release...

 

[Dynoman]

Hermes cockpit and interior.

Hermes space shuttle interior, cockpit and instrument panel resources

Blog dedicated to space exploration videos, simulation, 3D models, textures and image resources

orbiterspaceport.blogspot.com

 

[Dynoman]

There was supposed to be an astronaut-pilot training center in Brussels, with a Hermes Training Aircraft similar to the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA, a modified Gulfstream II). The picture below is a model of the proposed training center with, what looks like a Gulfstream on the apron. Any idea what the Hermes astronaut training aircraft was supposed to be and any evidence that any aircraft were modified for this role?

NASA Tech Briefs June 1991 indicate that the Airbus and Falcon were considered during Dassault's studies into a Hermes Carrier Aircraft and a Hermes Trainer Aircraft.

 

[FighterJock]

I would think that Hermes is more of a winged spacecraft than Spaceplane Byeman, true Spaceplane's are more like the BAE HOTOL.

 

[Dynoman]

...

 

[flateric]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1703006121563193762

View: https://x.com/MuseeAirEspace/status/1703006121563193762

 

[Dynoman]

...

 

[Dynoman]

Major Lessons Learned in Hypersonic Design of Hermes

1995ESASP.367..603P Page 603

 

[flateric]

1985

 

[Dynoman]

Maximum Recovery Area in Approach for the Spaceplane Hermes

https://www.icas.org/icas_archive/ICAS1988/ICAS-88-3.2.2.pdf

 

[publiusr]

A lot of work already done--I am surprised the Dream Chaser guys didn't choose this lay-out.

Falcon Heavy ought to be able to handle this even with some weight creep and still recover the boosters.
O/T..had FH been around in the 70s, how might the Voyagers have handled the extra umph?

 

[Byeman]

A lot of work already done--I am surprised the Dream Chaser guys didn't choose this lay-out.

Falcon Heavy ought to be able to handle this even with some weight creep and still recover the boosters.
O/T..had FH been around in the 70s, how might the Voyagers have handled the extra umph?

there was extra umph in Titan IV, Atlas V and Delta IV long before Falcon Heavy.

 

[Byeman]

A lot of work already done--I am surprised the Dream Chaser guys didn't choose this lay-out.

Propriety data

 

[publiusr]

Proprietary data that is moldering under dust and earns zero Euros...in effect- they own one hundred percent...of nothing.

If SLS and Orion dies, that service module of theirs goes nowhere--does nothing. They might just work with them then.

 

[Byeman]

Proprietary data that is moldering under dust and earns zero Euros...in effect- they own one hundred percent...of nothing.

If SLS and Orion dies, that service module of theirs goes nowhere--does nothing. They might just work with them then.

Nope, it doesn't work that way.

 

[Michel Van]

One of last version Hermes
with ejection Seats and HRM (Hermes Resources Module)

HRM serve 3 missions types:
Service MTTF (here Label as CFFL)
30 day Mission
MIR docking mission what need additional Engines and propellants to get Hermes to 54° orbit

Source: Flug Revue 3/1990

 

[hesham]

From Aviation magazine 1-7-1985

 

[hesham]

From Aviation magazine 1-4-1985

 

[archipeppe]

My contribution about the very first Hermes....

 

[TomcatViP]

Proprietary data that is moldering under dust and earns zero Euros...in effect- they own one hundred percent...of nothing.

If SLS and Orion dies, that service module of theirs goes nowhere--does nothing. They might just work with them then.

All data from Hermes went in Switzerland for free. Then you don't know who had access to it, granted that they were not prohibited actors.

 

[Byeman]

A lot of work already done--I am surprised the Dream Chaser guys didn't choose this lay-out.

not a lifting body

 

[hesham]

From Aviation magazine 1-1-1989

 

[Nik]

Sadly, Hermes' weight just kept growing. Especially after ejector seats were added...

IIRC, a comment at time was the poor thing still had negative cargo capacity *after* they deleted the French wine cellar...

 

[BROF]

Sadly, Hermes' weight just kept growing. Especially after ejector seats were added...

IIRC, a comment at time was the poor thing still had negative cargo capacity *after* they deleted the French wine cellar...

Well, Columbia did not bring back the stock of frozen Double Cheeseburgers either...

 

[PMN1]

My contribution about the very first Hermes....View attachment 752794View attachment 752795View attachment 752796

How did they evolve out that ridge in front of the cabin, you don't see it is later versions.

 

[flateric]

It hosted RCS and early version escape system parachutes

 

[Michel Van]

It hosted RCS and early version escape system parachutes

the Parachute serve landing in ocean if second stage failed
the escape system feature also a Solid motor to move fast away from the Rocket.

 

[PMN1]

The RCS position seems to have been moved and the parachutes abandoned quite soon....long before the major weight reduction that ended up with the final design.

 

[NMaude]

I just stumbled across this short video about the Hermes spaceplane uploaded onto YT on January 5, 2025:

The Hermes spaceplane, the European response to the American Space Shuttle, was envisioned to provide independent access to space for European crew and cargo. Following its cancellation in 1992, the Hermes shuttle became forgotten to the general public. Philippe Jung, an engineer who worked on the Hermes project, tells the story of the Hermes project in his eyes, from its beginnings to its demise. The Hermes shuttle may be gone, but its spirit still lives on in current and future European space projects.

This video was actually my individual project for the humanities department of the International Space University's Space Studies Program I participated in at the summer of 2024, which took place in Houston, Texas. I would like to thank the department chair Kerrie Dougherty for giving me the opportunity to interview Philippe for this video.

Launch and re-entry animations were enacted using Orbiter Spaceflight Simulator 2016. Music includes "Blueprints" and "Build It" from the original soundtrack of the documentary series "Moon Machines".

 

[martinbayer]

Just another me too project without any clear and dedicated/dependable long term sustainability need based on (re)supply requirements.

 

[BROF]

Just another me too project without any clear and dedicated/dependable long term sustainability need based on (re)supply requirements.

<<<yawning>>>