Earth Observation with the Orbital-Hub Free Flyer

In order to perpetuate the achievements of the International Space Station (ISS), DLR has conducted a thorough Post-ISS concept utilizing expert knowledge in a series of Concurrent Engineering studies. The outcome design, referred to as Orbital-Hub, is based on a small crewed LEO platform including a human-tended Free Flyer and is centered on financial feasibility and user needs in the frame of human spaceflight. Besides diverse use cases for the Orbital-Hub, like scientific and commercial micro-g application, exploration and technology demonstration, one application area comes from the Earth observation and climate measurement community. The Orbital-Hub's Free Flyer could serve as an observation platform for passive and active atmospheric physics and for optical Earth observation in order to monitor trace gases, aerosols, greenhouse gases, hot spots and analyzing the dynamic of our Earth's atmosphere.