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Description

The Hermes over Florida during the commissioning flight. Two crew members are performing an EVA to inspect outboard systems.

Hermes is launched unmanned on an SLS-type booster. It is designed to fit into a 5 m payload fairing while collapsed. When in orbit the trusses and radiators are deployed and the hab is inflated in an automatic sequence. The reactor is inoperative at this time, electrical power is provided by a temporary solar wing.

A separate launch lifts an Orion crew vehicle with a commissioning crew and an initial fill of ion engine fuel into orbit. The ion engine fuel is inert and poses no risk to the crew. The Orion docks to the hab and the crew checks out the hab and flight systems.

Using the Orion's propulsion system the orbit of the docked spacecrafts is raised to 800 km. This is to provide additional safety before activating the reactor. When the reactor is started it supplies electrical power to the ion engines and Hermes spirals up to the first Earth-Moon Lagrange point. The commissioning crew then returns to Earth. Hermes is ready for flight.

Description

The Hermes over Florida during the commissioning flight. Two crew members are performing an EVA to inspect outboard systems.

Hermes is launched unmanned on an SLS-type booster. It is designed to fit into a 5 m payload fairing while collapsed. When in orbit the trusses and radiators are deployed and the hab is inflated in an automatic sequence. The reactor is inoperative at this time, electrical power is provided by a temporary solar wing.

A separate launch lifts an Orion crew vehicle with a commissioning crew and an initial fill of ion engine fuel into orbit. The ion engine fuel is inert and poses no risk to the crew. The Orion docks to the hab and the crew checks out the hab and flight systems.

Using the Orion's propulsion system the orbit of the docked spacecrafts is raised to 800 km. This is to provide additional safety before activating the reactor. When the reactor is started it supplies electrical power to the ion engines and Hermes spirals up to the first Earth-Moon Lagrange point. The commissioning crew then returns to Earth. Hermes is ready for flight.