ESA Document - Emits - ESA

s
HMM
Assessment Study
Report: CDF-20(A)
February 2004
page 63 of 422
Earth Reentry Capsule (ERC): This is the element that will return the crew from its
interplanetary return trajectory (after crew transfer from the TV to the ERC) to the Earth’s
surface.
2.7.7.1.1 Transfer Habitation Module
This mission element is the core of the mission because it is the one that will provide the
habitable volume for the astronauts during most of the duration of the mission. It is composed of
a central cylinder, which houses most of the facilities and equipment, and two nodes that act as
connection points with the rest of the mission elements and also provide extra volume for the
crew.
Figure 2-28: Transfer Habitation Module
The interior volume is split into the crew quarters, command module, hygiene facilities, training
facilities, laboratory and social area, providing storage volume all along the vehicle.
It also provides interfaces with the MEV and ERC as well as an airlock to allow EVAs and spare
docking port. Mechanical interfaces with the propulsion modules are also provided.
The main characteristics and dimensions are shown in Table 2-20:
Characteristic Value
Overall mass (tonnes) 66.7
Consumables mass (tonnes) 10.2
Total pressurised volume
(m 3 480
)
Overall length (m) about 20
Main cylinder diameter (m) 6
Nodes diameter (m) 3.5
Nodes length (m) 5.2
Solar arrays (m x m) 5.1 x 15
Table 2-20: THM properties