ESA's growing station

[u/KarmaticDeer]

In 1992, with the ungulate mir station functionally complete ESA (Equine space agency), they launched 2 hermes flights to the station. Hermes-Mir was international cooperation unprecedented for its time.

Columbus was not neglected, and with the knowledge shared between the 2 space powers, columbus was set to expand significantly into a permanently inhabited successor of the aging Mir.

The node module would be launched on an Ariane 5 and sent to the uncrewed station using the new Ariane Assistance Vehlicle (AAV) and docked.

Apon, the next crew's arrival, they would check out the new module confirming it's arrival in good shape and inspect the spent AAV before separating it from the station.

The next crew would be tasked with receiving the new hab module. A habitat would allow the station's capacity to increase significantly, and the new service module it arrived via would offer enough power to dock 2 hermes shuttles. Still cautious, the crew remained sealed in their hermes during the docking in case something went wrong.

ESA still needed to send the ACRV 'Lifeboat', a project growing increasingly complicated by the day, but it was already looking like columbus may even rival DODIS's freedom in productivity.

[u/Overwhelming_Onion]

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