HERMES: Future Goals and Capabilities

Hermes, the retrievable manned spaceplane being developed by the European Space Agency and more than 12 of its member nations, is a major component of Europe's autonomous space infrastructure in the current decade.

Its primary mission will be to rendezvous, dock and service the Columbus Free-Flying Laboratory, a serviceable facility designed specifically for automated in-orbit operation and utilization. The versatility of the Hermes design will enable it to perform missions to the International Space Station Freedom.

Similar in design to the U.S. Space Shuttle, Hermes will afford its crew-members the opportunity to perform scientific experiments onboard.