View Full Version : [Space] ESA - Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
ESA - Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
http://giofx.altervista.org/foto/esa/ATV-1-JV_logo_small.jpg
Prossima Missione:
Lancio: Domenica 9 Marzo, 2008 - Ore 01:03 (05:03 CET, ora italiana)
Veicolo: ATV-1 - Jules Verne
Centro di Lancio / Pad: Centre Spatial Guyanais (CGS), Guyana Francese / ELA 3 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3)
Lanciatore: Arianespace Ariane 5 ES ATV (Flight 181)
Launch Timeline (SpaceFlightNow.com):
- Ariane 5 ES ATV Countdown Timeline: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/countdown.html
- Ariane 5 ES ATV Launch Timeline: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/launchtimeline.html
- Ariane 5 ES ATV Mission Timeline: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/mission.html
Webcast (TV):
- NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html) (Programma: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html)
- Arianespace (Live launch webcast) (http://www.arianespace.com)
Link utili:
- ESA - ATV (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/index.html)
- ESA - ATV Factsheet (pdf) (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/ATV/FS003_12_ATV_updated_launch_2008.pdf)
- ESA - ATV Operations (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEM2AGPR4CF_0.html)
- ESA - ATV Media Gallery (http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?mission=Automated+Transfer+Vehicle+%28ATV%29&type=I)
_____________________________________________
Caratteristiche e altre informazioni:
http://www.esa.int/export/images/ATV-cut_400.jpg
ATV è il nuovo cargo spaziale dell'ESA, sviluppato dal consorzio EADS con Alenia Spazio ed Astrium Space, che la Stazione Spaziale Internazionale (ISS) utilizzerà congiuntamente all'attuale (ed unico) Progress russo. Ma è molto di più.
Si tratta infatti di un veicolo totalmente automatizzato, dotato di propulsione propria, lanciato in orbita (LEO) tramite il lanciatore Ariane V dallo Spaceport di Kourou e concepito per muoversi autonomamente fino alla ISS ad inclinazione 51.6°. La connessione con la stazione avviene in modo automatico con la possibilità di controllo remoto dalla ISS, in caso di emergenza.
Ciò che contraddistingue questo nuovo "Servicing and Logistic Vehicle" dal Progress è essenzialente:
- la dimensione e il carico trasportabile (fino a 9500 kg massimi)
- la pressurizzazione della payload bay, per permettere agli astronauti di utilizzarlo proprio come un modulo fisso della stazione
- il funzionamento come modulo di carico e scarico per 6 mesi
- la propulsione a combustibile liquido (N2O4/MMH) per poter spostare la stazione in orbite più alta per compensare la naturale "ridiscesa" del complesso a causa dell'atmosfera artificiale.
Il primo lancio, inizialmente previsto il 5 settembre 2004, è fissato adesso per domenica 9 marzo 2008 alle ore 05:03 (ora di Parigi), dal centro spazia europeo di Kourou, Guiana Francese.
Mai come ora è indispensabile un nuovo cargo come l'ATV, con lo stop dello Shuttle.
Caratteristiche tecniche: http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/ATV/ESA4ZJ0VMOC_0.html
The Automated Transfer Vehicle
The International Space Station (ISS) depends on regular deliveries of experimental equipment and spare parts as well as food, air and water for its permanent crew. From autumn 2004 onward, Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will be one of the indispensable ISS supply spaceships.
Every 12 months or so, the ATV will haul 7.5 tonnes of cargo from its Kourou launch site in French Guiana to the Station 400 km above the Earth. An on board high precision navigation system will guide the ATV on a rendezvous trajectory towards ISS, where it will automatically dock with the Station's Russian service module. The ATV will remain there as a pressurized and integral part of the Station for up to six months until its final mission: a fiery one-way trip into the Earth's atmosphere to dispose of up to 6.5 tonnes of Station waste.
New generation spaceship
To succeed in docking safely with a huge manned station, the 20-tonne ATV, developed by the European Space Agency, has to be a highly sophisticated, new generation spacecraft. The exterior is an eggshell-coloured cylinder, 10.3 metres long and 4.5 metres in diameter. The details of the ATV’s structure are covered with an insulating foil layer on top of anti-meteorite panels. The X-shaped extended solar arrays, characteristic of the ATV, look like metallic blue wings. Inside, the ATV consists of two modules, the propulsion spacecraft and the integrated cargo carrier which docks with the ISS.
Although no one will ever be launched in an ATV, astronauts, dressed in regular clothing, will be able to access its contents during its joint orbital flight with ISS. In fact, the ATV pressurised cargo section is based on the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), which is already in service as a Shuttle-carried ‘space barge’ transporting equipment to and from the Station. The ATV, which is equipped with its own propulsion and navigation systems, is a multi-functional spaceship, which combines both the full automatic capabilities of an unmanned vehicle, and the human spacecraft safety requirements. Its mission in space will resemble the combination of a tugboat and a river barge.
The 45 m³-pressurized section has room for up to eight standard racks which are loaded with modular storage cargo elements. The integrated cargo carrier also holds several tanks, containing up to 840 kg of drinking water, 860 kg of refuelling propellant for the Station’s own propulsion system and 100 kg of air (oxygen and nitrogen). The ‘nose’ of the cargo section contains the Russian-made docking equipment and various kinds of rendezvous sensors.
The ATV's spacecraft module navigates with four main engines (490 Newton) plus 28 smaller thrusters (220 N) for attitude control. After docking, the ATV can perform ISS attitude control, debris avoidance manoeuvres and boost the Station's orbit to overcome the effects of atmospheric drag. In order to perform this last manoeuvre the ATV uses up to 4.7 tonnes of propellant.
Mission scenario
A typical ATV mission will begin when the craft is launched into a 300-km orbit atop an Ariane-5 from the French Guiana equatorial launch site. Under the responsibility of the European control centre in Toulouse (France), the ATV separates from Ariane and navigation systems are activated. Thrusters are fired to boost the ATV into the transfer orbit to the ISS.
After three days of orbit adjustments, the ATV will come in sight of the ISS and will start relative navigation from about 30 km behind and 5 km below the Station. The cargo ship's computers begin final approach manoeuvres over the next two orbits, closing with ISS at walking pace.
The actual docking will be fully automatic. If there are any last-minute problems, either the ATV's computers or the Station's crew can trigger a pre-programmed sequence of anti-collision manoeuvres, which is fully independent of the main navigation system. This back-up system adds a full level of safety, which could be compared to an airbag in a car.
With the ATV securely docked, the Station's crew can enter the cargo section and remove the payload: maintenance supplies, science hardware, and parcels of fresh food, mail and family tapes or CD-ROMs. Meanwhile, the ATV's liquid tanks will be connected to the Station's own plumbing and discharge their contents. The Station crew will manually release air components directly into the ISS’s atmosphere. For up to six months, the ATV, mostly in dormant mode, will remain attached to the ISS with the hatch remaining open. The crew will steadily fill the cargo section with the Station's waste. At intervals of 10 to 45 days, the ATV’s thrusters will be used to boost the Station's altitude.
Once its re-supply mission is accomplished, the ATV, filled with waste, will be closed by the crew and automatically separated. Its thrusters will use their remaining fuel to de-orbit the spacecraft, not at the shallow angle used for the relatively gentle re-entry of manned vehicles, but on a steep flight path to perform a controlled destructive re-entry high above the Pacific Ocean.
From its first operational flight in the autumn of 2004, Europe's most challenging spaceship will play a vital role in Station servicing. It is also a way for Europe to pay its share in ISS running costs by spending money in the European industry rather than by cash transfers to its international partners. Depending on the operational lifetime of the Space Station, ESA will build at least eight ATVs. Thirty companies from ten European countries, as well as eight other companies from Russia and the United States share the work, with EADS Launch Vehicles (France) as the Prime Contractor.
Foto
Managers NASA ed ESA visitano la Jules Verne Equipped Avionics Bay a Brema, Germania:
http://asimov.esrin.esa.int/export/images/BPrecourt_Nov_03_3510_26_400.jpg
http://asimov.esrin.esa.int/export/images/APrecourt_Nov_03_3510_18_400.jpg
Il modulo pressurizzato dell'ATV viene rimosso dal suo container all'arrivo a Brema:
http://asimov.esrin.esa.int/export/images/Eimg_2559_400.jpg
L'arrivo del modulo pressurizzato dell'ATV a Brema, trasportato da un Airbus A300-600ST "Beluga":
http://asimov.esrin.esa.int/export/images/Fimg_2427_400.jpg
L'ATV in vista della stazione internazionale (art):
http://asimov.esrin.esa.int/export/images/ATV_to_ISS_L.jpg
L'ATV attraccato all'ISS:
http://asimov.esrin.esa.int/export/images/118901_L.jpg
Codename47
20-02-2008, 20:17
Credo sia doveroso uppare il thread, visto che dopo interminabili rinvii è finalmente stato fissato il lancio per l'8 marzo :)
Eccomi :)
Il nuovo lavoro mi permette di intervenire poco, comunque vi leggo sempre.
Vorrei ricordare che anche il lancio dell'ariane è possibile seguirlo in streaming attraverso il sito Arianespace, solamente che le dirette iniziano generalmente una oretta prima del lancio.
Naturalmente penso che ci sarà anche la copertura di nasatv, almeno spero.
Ciao
Azz correva l'Anno 2004... come passa il tempo!!! :eekk:
:yeah:
- la propulsione a combustibile liquido (Azoto-Ossigeno) per poter spostare la stazione in orbite più alta per compensare la naturale "ridiscesa" del complesso a causa dell'atmosfera artificiale.
:mbe: :mbe: :mbe: :mbe: :mbe: :mbe: azoto ossigeno ???
:mbe: :mbe: :mbe: :mbe: :mbe: :mbe: azoto ossigeno ???
ROTFL :D
Ovviamente è un errore, forse quando l'ho scritto pensavo al gas trasportabile come carico (Ossigeno, Azoto e Aria compressa)... :muro:
Il propellente è il classico Monometil-idrazina (MMH) con ossidante il Tetrossido di diazoto o Ipoazotite (N2O4).
;)
Arianespace - Mission Update:
February 18, 2008
Ariane 5 is fitted with its 19-metric-ton ATV payload
The Ariane 5’s largest payload ever has now been integrated on the launch vehicle, taking Arianespace’s upcoming historic mission with the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) one step closer to its March 8 liftoff. Our photo selection highlights the ATV’s integration at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, which began late last week and concluded with the spacecraft’s power-up this weekend atop the launcher. (Click on the images for a larger version):
Final checkout of the ATV is completed in the clean room area of the Ariane 5’s Final Assembly Building. The European-built resupply spacecraft is to deliver propellant, oxygen, equipment, systems, food and water for the International Space Station and its crew. For the ATV’s initial flight, the spacecraft has a liftoff mass of more than 19 metric tons.
http://www.arianespace.com/site/images/missionup_18feb08_1_lg.jpg
The ATV is lifted by an overhead crane from the clean room area on its way to the upper levels of the Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building – where it will be positioned for integration atop the launcher. This underside view shows the ATV’s four main propulsion system thrusters, which will bring the resupply spacecraft to its rendezvous with the International Space Station.
http://www.arianespace.com/site/images/missionup_18feb08_2_lg.jpg
Representatives from prime contractor EADS Space Transportation watch as the resupply spacecraft is readied to be lowered atop the Ariane 5. The ATV’s liftoff on March 8 is planned at 1:23 a.m. local time in French Guiana (5:23 Central European time). After its launch by Ariane 5, the ATV’s new-generation high-precision navigation system will guide it to the International Space Station, with docking planned in early April.
http://www.arianespace.com/site/images/missionup_18feb08_3_lg.jpg
The ATV approaches the point of integration atop Ariane 5 as support personnel monitor the operation from work platforms surrounding the launch vehicle. This will be the first of nine ATV launches currently on Arianespace’s order book. It also will mark Arianespace’s initial mission of 2008, during which a total of seven Ariane 5 flights are planned.
http://www.arianespace.com/site/images/missionup_18feb08_4_lg.jpg
---
http://www.arianespace.com/site/news/news_sub_missionupdate_index.html
allora e' confermato per l'8 marzo?
dai che manca poco! :D
Quincy_it
25-02-2008, 16:16
Presente! :)
Per la serie: un piccolo passo per l'ISS, un grande passo per l'ESA. :p
Una cosa che, secondo me, l'ESA sbaglia rispetto alla NASA è la pubblicità che dà alle sue missioni.
Sia sui mezzi di comunicazione che soprattutto su internet, mentre la NASA fa di tutto per pubblicizzare e rendere disponibili i dati delle sue missioni, l'ESA latita nella maniera più completa. Basta prendere una missione come la Venus Express, per esempio: sul sito dei risultati della missione ce ne sono pochissimi, gli aggiornamenti sono estremamente rari, mentre nel clou della loro attività i rover su marte della NASA avevano il sito aggiornato quotidianamente.
Ugualmente, io di 'sto modulo proprio non avevo minimamente sentito parlare. Magari mi sarà sfuggito, ma l'ESA io dico che ha ancora molta strada da fare per curare la propria immagine col pubblico.
gabi.2437
26-02-2008, 21:39
La NASA si fa vedere molto per ricevere più finanziamenti, non penso lo faccia perchè le piace...magari l'ESA riesce a andare avanti lo stesso, chissà...
Di certo avvicinare la gente a queste cose non sarebbe male, magari facendo leva a tutte le tecnologie che usiamo e che derivano da missioni del genere
The ATV’s liftoff on March 8 is planned at 1:23 a.m. local time in French Guiana (5:23 Central European time). After its launch by Ariane 5, the ATV’s new-generation high-precision navigation system will guide it to the International Space Station, with docking planned in early April.
eeh?
non doveva impiegare solo 3 giorni per il randevouz con l'ISS?
La NASA si fa vedere molto per ricevere più finanziamenti, non penso lo faccia perchè le piace...magari l'ESA riesce a andare avanti lo stesso, chissà...
Di certo avvicinare la gente a queste cose non sarebbe male, magari facendo leva a tutte le tecnologie che usiamo e che derivano da missioni del genere
Beh la NASA secondo me ha un aspetto pubblico molto più curato, non mi risulta per esempio che i centri dell'ESA abbiano sezioni per il pubblico come il JSC, tanto per dire.
Certo il fatto che debba ricevere fondi dalla politica rende necessario il farsi mostrare alla gente, però hai anche l'effetto positivo di informare, appassionare e rendere partecipa la comunità ai risultati delle missioni, che non è poco a mio avviso.
eeh?
non doveva impiegare solo 3 giorni per il randevouz con l'ISS?
E' chiaramente un errore dovuto forse a vecchie scadenze non più valide.
Attualmente il lancio dell'ATV è programmato per l'8 Marzo, con docking previsto (a scelta) a partire dall'11. L'ATV infatti ha una notevole flessibilità avendo una sua propulsione utilizzabile anche per il boosting della stazione.
In questi giorni il Programma Shuttle sta valutando la possibiltà di spostare di un giorno la partenza dell'Endeavour, cmq al momento attuale il programma sarebbe di lanciare l'ATV, lanciare l'Endeavour con il docking 3 giorni dopo ossia il 14, quindi docking dell'ATV e infine arrivo della prossima Soyuz.
Insomma, le previsioni del traffico per l'orbita terrestre sono decisamente da bollino rosso per i prossimi giorni!!!
Per quanto riguarda la "pubblicità" dell'ESA, non è che manchi o non vi siano relazioni col pubblico.
L'ESA ha relazioni pubbliche, iniziative scolastiche e di ricerca, tour turistici ecc, e tutto il resto in tutti i suoi centri principali. Ha anche la sua TV come la NASA (ESA TV, per adesso solo su satellite e non 24/24).
La NASA tra le agenzie americane è sicuramente quella per forza di cose (e per volere politico) più esposta mediaticamente ed è sicuramente vero che ha quindi anche una maggiore tradizione in questo senso.
Tuttavia la ragione principale alla base di questa differenza di "esposizione" è da ricercarsi sempre nel solito discorso, ossia "gli schei" come diciamo qui nel nordest. E' troppo diverso il budget annuo destinato alla NASA (circa 20 miliardi di dollari) con quello che riceve l'ESA dai suoi paesi membri (circa 2). Stiamo parlando di 10 volte tanto.
Ovvio, la stragrande maggioranza di esso è destinato ai programmi Shuttle e ISS, ai centri di controllo, all'osservazione terrestre e alle missioni scientifiche.
Basta considerare che l'accesso ESA allo spazio per le missioni umane fino ad oggi (e ancora per un poò di tempo almeno) è stato prevalentemente garantito da scambi, come la costruzione di moduli e la fornitura di servizi.
Columbus e ATV diventeranno (se non lo sono già, ma non ne ho idea) le maggiori voci di spesa per l'ESA, assieme al mantenimento e lo sviluppo assieme a CNES e Arianespace dello spazioporto europeo di Kourou.
E' chiaro quindi che, a meno di un aumento deciso dei finanziamenti pubblici nei prossimi anni fiscali, l'ESA dovrà accontentarsi dell'attuale livello di diffusione mediatica dei suoi programmi, massimizzando i ritorni dai successi delle prossime missioni, come fatto in passato con Hubble, Giove, SoHo, Ulysses, Huygens, Mars e Venus Express, Rosetta, e con le prossime BepiColombo, James Webb Space Telescope e, soprattutto, con la complessa e costosissima missione ExoMars.
NASA TV ha aggiunto la copertura del lancio in diretta!
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html
Arianespace Mission Update:
February 26, 2008
Ariane 5’s final assembly is completed for next month’s mission with the Automated Transfer Vehicle
The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s upcoming historic mission to service the International Space Station is now complete following installation of the large fairing that will protect its Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) payload during the launcher’s initial ascent.
Integration of the payload fairing was performed yesterday at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana (photo at left), marking one of the last major milestones in Ariane 5’s final assembly process.
With a liftoff scheduled for the early morning hours of March 8, this mission will be the first Ariane flight in support of the International Space Station, and the 19-metric-ton ATV is the largest single spacecraft ever lofted by Ariane 5.
The European-built ATV resupply spacecraft will deliver propellant, oxygen, equipment, systems, food and water for the International Space Station and its crew. It is the first of nine ATVs currently on Arianespace’s order book for launch to the manned orbital station over the next several years.
The March 8 flight also will be Arianespace’s initial mission of 2008, during which a total of seven Ariane 5 launches are planned.
http://www.arianespace.com/site/news/mission_up_471.html
Quincy_it
27-02-2008, 07:44
NASA TV ha aggiunto la copertura del lancio in diretta!
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html
Ottimo! :)
albertoz85
27-02-2008, 08:53
E' chiaramente un errore dovuto forse a vecchie scadenze non più valide.
Attualmente il lancio dell'ATV è programmato per l'8 Marzo, con docking previsto (a scelta) a partire dall'11. L'ATV infatti ha una notevole flessibilità avendo una sua propulsione utilizzabile anche per il boosting della stazione.
No, il docking avverrà il 3 Aprile.
In questo caso perchè ci saranno alcuni "demo day" con prove di avvicinamento e simulazioni di abort che dureranno qualche settimana per la certificazione dei sistemi.
In particolare saranno
12 Marzo ATV CAM (Collision Avoidance Maneuver) demo
29 Marzo - ATV-1 Demo Day 1
31 MArzo - ATV-1 Demo Day 2
Ma anche a regime (dalle prossime missioni) l'ATV impiegherà almeno 10 giorni per raggiungere la ISS perchè è più pesante ad esempio del Progress e il sistema propulsivo è ottimizzato per risparmiare più combustibile possibile a vantaggio del payload.
Per saperne di più:
http://www.forumastronautico.it/index.php?topic=5909.0
http://www.forumastronautico.it/index.php?topic=5817.0
[...]E' chiaro quindi che, a meno di un aumento deciso dei finanziamenti pubblici nei prossimi anni fiscali, l'ESA dovrà accontentarsi dell'attuale livello di diffusione mediatica dei suoi programmi, massimizzando i ritorni dai successi delle prossime missioni, come fatto in passato con Hubble, Giove, SoHo, Ulysses, Huygens, Mars e Venus Express, Rosetta, e con le prossime BepiColombo, James Webb Space Telescope e, soprattutto, con la complessa e costosissima missione ExoMars.
a questo punto potremmo anche ricordare che la ASI ha collaborato allo sviluppo della sonda Cassini.. ;)
No, il docking avverrà il 3 Aprile.
In questo caso perchè ci saranno alcuni "demo day" con prove di avvicinamento e simulazioni di abort che dureranno qualche settimana per la certificazione dei sistemi.
In particolare saranno
12 Marzo ATV CAM (Collision Avoidance Maneuver) demo
29 Marzo - ATV-1 Demo Day 1
31 MArzo - ATV-1 Demo Day 2
Ma anche a regime (dalle prossime missioni) l'ATV impiegherà almeno 10 giorni per raggiungere la ISS perchè è più pesante ad esempio del Progress e il sistema propulsivo è ottimizzato per risparmiare più combustibile possibile a vantaggio del payload.
Per saperne di più:
http://www.forumastronautico.it/index.php?topic=5909.0
http://www.forumastronautico.it/index.php?topic=5817.0
Beh, buono a sapersi, avevo letto diversamente... grazie!
Arianespace Mission Update:
March 3, 2008
Arianespace Flight ATV: launch delayed by 24 hours
In order to allow additional checks on the Automated Launch Vehicle Jules Verne, Arianespace and ESA have decided to postpone the launch by 24 hours.
The launch is now scheduled during the night of Saturday, March 8 to Sunday, March 9, 2008:
Launch Window
UTC: 03:59 a.m.
Paris, France: 04:59 a.m.
Kourou, French Guiana: 00:59 a.m.
Moscow, Russia: 06:59 a.m.
http://www.arianespace.com/site/news/news_sub_missionupdate_index.html
a questo punto potremmo anche ricordare che la ASI ha collaborato allo sviluppo della sonda Cassini.. ;)
Hai fatto benissimo, anzi... l'ASI è partner principale di NASA, come l'ESA.
Da NasaSpaceFlight.com:
Sophisticated ATV boosts Europe's space programs
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 5, 2008
This weekend's launch of Europe's Jules Verne cargo ship and last month's addition of the Columbus laboratory module to the international space station are cornerstone achievements in the continent's growth in space, according to senior officials
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvearth.jpg
Credit: ESA
Jules Verne is the first of at least five contracted Automated Transfer Vehicle missions to the space station. Blastoff is timed for 0403:04 GMT (11:03:04 p.m. EST) from the European-controlled space base in Kourou, French Guiana.
"Europe historically is the exploring continent, and we want to make sure that we don't just explore the world but we explore the world beyond us," said Alan Thirkettle, ESA international space station program manager.
Long an operator of highly successful science probes, the European Space Agency is becoming a full-time participant in human spaceflight this year.
"There is a big jump between operating unmanned spacecraft in deep space and actually operating a spacecraft in a manned environment," said Bob Chesson, head of ESA's human spaceflight and exploration operations. "It's a big challenge for us and I think we're up to it."
Jules Verne will embark on a dual mission to demonstrate the vehicle's readiness and deliver crucial cargo to the space station.
"I'm a Briton and it's very difficult for Brits to get excited, but we're very excited and very proud and really looking forward to what we think is going to be a really magnificent mission and one that will service the station very well," Thirkettle said.
Along with the newly-launched Columbus lab, the ATV will be one of Europe's primary contributions to the station. ESA and ten of its member states have spent about $7.4 billion on station-related projects since 1995, according to Thirkettle.
Europe is budgeting another $5.9 billion for the station through 2018, mostly covering the four remaining ATV missions and operations costs.
If everything goes as planned during Jules Verne's six-month mission, the next ATV will launch late next year. Three more ATV's will fly in 2011, 2012 and 2013, ESA officials said.
"You don't become a major player unless you can do your own operations, and that will come with ATV," Thirkettle said.
The ATV program has cost $1.9 billion since 1995, including the craft's design, development and construction. The cost number also covers the program's ground segment.
Each ATV mission produces an individual cost of about $532 million, while each spacecraft is worth about $304 million, according to ESA.
France led the program's development, providing nearly 47 percent of the total contributions to the ATV. Germany and Italy supplied 24 percent and 13 percent, respectively, and seven other ESA member states had contributions in the single digits.
Europe's involvement in the international space station project is structured by barter agreements with NASA. ESA secured a shuttle launch for Columbus by building the Node 2 and Node 3 modules, and the ATV's cargo-carrying capability will cover ESA's 8.3-percent share of the station's operating costs.
Columbus, the ATV and ESA science payloads also help ensure a spot for European astronauts on future station crews. Thirkettle said ESA astronauts will spend at least six months on the station every two years beginning in 2009.
Led by the industrial giant European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the ATV contractor team included thousands of engineers and technicians in Europe. Russia provided the docking probe and refueling system.
"ATV gives very high-tech work to (European) industry, it pays our fees for the station which enables us to do the world-class science and research that we want to do on the station, and it's a gateway to the future exploration ambitions that we have in Europe," Thirkettle said.
A space transporter
The ship is able to carry more than 16,000 pounds of refueling propellant, water, oxygen, nitrogen and dry cargo. Named after the famed 19th century science fiction writer, Jules Verne will be launching with only about 10,100 pounds of supplies.
"We want to retain some flexibility for the various test maneuvers that will be performed during the approach," said John Ellwood, ATV project manager.
In development for more than 12 years, the ATV can carry three times more payload mass to the station than Russia's workhorse Progress spacecraft, which has averaged nearly four missions per year since 2001.
"We're going to be the largest carrier of cargo to the international space station," Ellwood said.
The cargo capacity will be especially needed after the space shuttle's retirement in 2010. The shuttle currently carries most of the station's hardware to orbit.
"It is a major contribution to the program, probably more significantly post-2010 when the shuttle is no longer available for us to do much of the logistics work it does," said Mike Suffredini, NASA international space station program manager.
With its Russian docking probe extended, the cylindrical craft measures nearly 34 feet long and 15 feet wide, about the size of a London double-decker bus.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvbus.jpg
Credit: ESA
"It is the biggest spacecraft we've built in Europe and by far the most complicated," Ellwood said.
Behind the ATV's 518-pound docking system lies the integrated cargo carrier, containing about 1,600 cubic feet of pressurized volume.
Derived from the Italian-built, NASA-owned Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, the pressurized section has room for up to eight standard cargo racks. The 16.1-foot-long cargo carrier also includes an unpressurized module holding spherical tanks for water, gases and refueling propellant.
Larger racks housing science experiments can only be flown to the station using the shuttle or Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle, which will launch for the first time next year. The HTV will also be able to deliver external payloads.
A service module behind the cargo carrier is fitted with four blue power-producing solar arrays. When deployed, the panels form a distinguishing X-shaped pattern spanning more than 73 feet, producing about four kilowatts of power.
Four main engines attached to the aft end of the ATV will perform major rendezvous burns and re-boost the space station's orbit. Two of the engines will be used in free flight, while all four can be used for re-boost maneuvers. The propulsion unit includes 28 smaller thrusters for attitude control duties.
A backup propulsion system can be activated to independently abort an ATV rendezvous if conditions become unsafe. "We really have two spacecraft in the middle of this enormous great bird," Ellwood said.
The service module also contains the ATV's brain, a complex set of computers and avionics that serve as the spacecraft's nerve center.
Shields and an insulating white foil layer covering the outer shell of the ATV protect the spacecraft from debris impacts and extreme temperatures. Optical rendezvous sensors and an assortment of S-band, radio, and GPS antennas are also scattered across the freighter's exterior.
The spacecraft will communicate with a 60-person team of controllers based in Toulouse, France, through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System - a fleet of satellites also used by the space shuttle, space station and a host of other missions.
The ATV is "like a combination of a telecoms satellite, navigation vessel and a human spacecraft all rolled into one," Thirkettle said.
More ATV missions could be flown if station operations are formally extended past the next decade. Officials have also considered fielding the ATV on commercial flights or evolving the ship to support other types of missions.
A joint team formed by EADS Astrium and Lockheed Martin Corp. proposed using an ATV variant launched by Atlas and Delta rockets under a 2005 NASA request for proposals to commercially supply the space station after the shuttle's retirement. NASA didn't select the ATV plan for further study, instead choosing to support smaller burgeoning U.S. aerospace companies.
Some officials tout the ATV as a stepping stone to a future crew-carrying spacecraft, but that would require a significant leap from the ship's current design.
"It's not just a matter of taking off the cargo carrier and sticking a capsule on top of it," Thirkettle said.
A long road to launch
Sophisticated ATV boosts Europe's space programs
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 5, 2008
This weekend's launch of Europe's Jules Verne cargo ship and last month's addition of the Columbus laboratory module to the international space station are cornerstone achievements in the continent's growth in space, according to senior officials.
Credit: ESA
Jules Verne is the first of at least five contracted Automated Transfer Vehicle missions to the space station. Blastoff is timed for 0403:04 GMT (11:03:04 p.m. EST) from the European-controlled space base in Kourou, French Guiana.
"Europe historically is the exploring continent, and we want to make sure that we don't just explore the world but we explore the world beyond us," said Alan Thirkettle, ESA international space station program manager.
Long an operator of highly successful science probes, the European Space Agency is becoming a full-time participant in human spaceflight this year.
"There is a big jump between operating unmanned spacecraft in deep space and actually operating a spacecraft in a manned environment," said Bob Chesson, head of ESA's human spaceflight and exploration operations. "It's a big challenge for us and I think we're up to it."
Jules Verne will embark on a dual mission to demonstrate the vehicle's readiness and deliver crucial cargo to the space station.
"I'm a Briton and it's very difficult for Brits to get excited, but we're very excited and very proud and really looking forward to what we think is going to be a really magnificent mission and one that will service the station very well," Thirkettle said.
Along with the newly-launched Columbus lab, the ATV will be one of Europe's primary contributions to the station. ESA and ten of its member states have spent about $7.4 billion on station-related projects since 1995, according to Thirkettle.
Europe is budgeting another $5.9 billion for the station through 2018, mostly covering the four remaining ATV missions and operations costs.
If everything goes as planned during Jules Verne's six-month mission, the next ATV will launch late next year. Three more ATV's will fly in 2011, 2012 and 2013, ESA officials said.
"You don't become a major player unless you can do your own operations, and that will come with ATV," Thirkettle said.
The ATV program has cost $1.9 billion since 1995, including the craft's design, development and construction. The cost number also covers the program's ground segment.
Each ATV mission produces an individual cost of about $532 million, while each spacecraft is worth about $304 million, according to ESA.
France led the program's development, providing nearly 47 percent of the total contributions to the ATV. Germany and Italy supplied 24 percent and 13 percent, respectively, and seven other ESA member states had contributions in the single digits.
Europe's involvement in the international space station project is structured by barter agreements with NASA. ESA secured a shuttle launch for Columbus by building the Node 2 and Node 3 modules, and the ATV's cargo-carrying capability will cover ESA's 8.3-percent share of the station's operating costs.
Columbus, the ATV and ESA science payloads also help ensure a spot for European astronauts on future station crews. Thirkettle said ESA astronauts will spend at least six months on the station every two years beginning in 2009.
Led by the industrial giant European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the ATV contractor team included thousands of engineers and technicians in Europe. Russia provided the docking probe and refueling system.
"ATV gives very high-tech work to (European) industry, it pays our fees for the station which enables us to do the world-class science and research that we want to do on the station, and it's a gateway to the future exploration ambitions that we have in Europe," Thirkettle said.
A space transporter
The ship is able to carry more than 16,000 pounds of refueling propellant, water, oxygen, nitrogen and dry cargo. Named after the famed 19th century science fiction writer, Jules Verne will be launching with only about 10,100 pounds of supplies.
"We want to retain some flexibility for the various test maneuvers that will be performed during the approach," said John Ellwood, ATV project manager.
In development for more than 12 years, the ATV can carry three times more payload mass to the station than Russia's workhorse Progress spacecraft, which has averaged nearly four missions per year since 2001.
"We're going to be the largest carrier of cargo to the international space station," Ellwood said.
The cargo capacity will be especially needed after the space shuttle's retirement in 2010. The shuttle currently carries most of the station's hardware to orbit.
"It is a major contribution to the program, probably more significantly post-2010 when the shuttle is no longer available for us to do much of the logistics work it does," said Mike Suffredini, NASA international space station program manager.
With its Russian docking probe extended, the cylindrical craft measures nearly 34 feet long and 15 feet wide, about the size of a London double-decker bus.
Credit: ESA
"It is the biggest spacecraft we've built in Europe and by far the most complicated," Ellwood said.
Behind the ATV's 518-pound docking system lies the integrated cargo carrier, containing about 1,600 cubic feet of pressurized volume.
Derived from the Italian-built, NASA-owned Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, the pressurized section has room for up to eight standard cargo racks. The 16.1-foot-long cargo carrier also includes an unpressurized module holding spherical tanks for water, gases and refueling propellant.
Larger racks housing science experiments can only be flown to the station using the shuttle or Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle, which will launch for the first time next year. The HTV will also be able to deliver external payloads.
A service module behind the cargo carrier is fitted with four blue power-producing solar arrays. When deployed, the panels form a distinguishing X-shaped pattern spanning more than 73 feet, producing about four kilowatts of power.
Four main engines attached to the aft end of the ATV will perform major rendezvous burns and re-boost the space station's orbit. Two of the engines will be used in free flight, while all four can be used for re-boost maneuvers. The propulsion unit includes 28 smaller thrusters for attitude control duties.
A backup propulsion system can be activated to independently abort an ATV rendezvous if conditions become unsafe. "We really have two spacecraft in the middle of this enormous great bird," Ellwood said.
The service module also contains the ATV's brain, a complex set of computers and avionics that serve as the spacecraft's nerve center.
Shields and an insulating white foil layer covering the outer shell of the ATV protect the spacecraft from debris impacts and extreme temperatures. Optical rendezvous sensors and an assortment of S-band, radio, and GPS antennas are also scattered across the freighter's exterior.
The spacecraft will communicate with a 60-person team of controllers based in Toulouse, France, through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System - a fleet of satellites also used by the space shuttle, space station and a host of other missions.
The ATV is "like a combination of a telecoms satellite, navigation vessel and a human spacecraft all rolled into one," Thirkettle said.
More ATV missions could be flown if station operations are formally extended past the next decade. Officials have also considered fielding the ATV on commercial flights or evolving the ship to support other types of missions.
A joint team formed by EADS Astrium and Lockheed Martin Corp. proposed using an ATV variant launched by Atlas and Delta rockets under a 2005 NASA request for proposals to commercially supply the space station after the shuttle's retirement. NASA didn't select the ATV plan for further study, instead choosing to support smaller burgeoning U.S. aerospace companies.
Some officials tout the ATV as a stepping stone to a future crew-carrying spacecraft, but that would require a significant leap from the ship's current design.
"It's not just a matter of taking off the cargo carrier and sticking a capsule on top of it," Thirkettle said.
A long road to launch
More than 12 years in the making, the long-awaited maiden launch of the ATV has been hit by more than three years of delays since the project was inaugurated.
Officials overcame early development difficulties in the first few years of the program, but more recent issues again challenged the ATV team.
Hiccups in the ATV's Russian GPS navigation system forced engineers to write new software to trounce the problems in late 2006. Flight software testing also had to be pushed back due to difficulties with a ground facility designed to check the software.
Jules Verne was shipped from its testing center in the Netherlands to French Guiana last July to begin several months of final assembly and cargo loading. More than 40 people have worked full time on the spacecraft at Kourou since its arrival, according to ESA officials.
Tests at the launch site revealed minor issues with the ATV's docking system and miniscule leaks in the propulsion system last fall. Technicians employed minor fixes to overcome the issues, according to an ESA spokesperson.
Another constant factor in the timing of Jules Verne's mission has been international traffic visiting the space station. The ATV can't dock while the space shuttle is present, and arrivals and departures of Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft must also be taken into account, Thirkettle said.
"The fact is it's a very complicated process to try to line these spacecraft up to come to ISS, mostly because seldom do they actually launch exactly when they think they will," Suffredini said.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvorbit.jpg
Credit: ESA
Visiting spacecraft were partially to blame for an ATV delay last year, but officials said last month they would launch as soon as possible and wait in a parking orbit for other missions to wrap up.
Workers finished loading dry cargo aboard Jules Verne last fall and closed the pressurized section on Dec. 12. The cargo carrier and service module were mated five days later.
Technicians completed fueling Jules Verne and installed the craft's thermal covers in early February. Jules Verne was transported to the final assembly building on Feb. 14 and attached atop the Ariane 5 rocket a few days later.
Managers met Feb. 6 and decided to formally postpone the launch from Feb. 22 to March 8, giving engineers time to put finishing touches on the spacecraft. Officials said ground controllers also requested additional time to conduct more mission simulations.
ESA did not purchase insurance for Jules Verne's flight, but engineers designed the ATV with several levels of redundancy and put in extra testing to offset the risk. The delay last month was to add a "final level of robustness" to the mission, Thirkettle said.
After some final closeout work, the Ariane 5's voluminous payload fairing was mounted around Jules Verne on Feb. 25. The nose cone protects the ship during the final days before launch and through the rocket's flight in the dense lower atmosphere during the early minutes of the mission.
Managers decided last weekend to postpone the launch one more day, allowing launch site workers to inspect grounding straps on the separation system that will release Jules Verne from the grasp of the Ariane 5's upper stage.
Technicians temporarily removed the payload fairing for the separation system checks. The two fairing halves were attached to the rocket again earlier this week, setting the stage for the launcher's move to the launch pad Friday in advance of picking up the final countdown Saturday afternoon.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/program.html
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvbus.jpg
LOL :D
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
Europe's new space freighter prepares for maiden voyage
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 5, 2008
Lauded as the most advanced spaceship ever built by Europeans, a robotic orbital freighter named Jules Verne will blast off from the Atlantic coast of South America this weekend to begin a three-week chase of the international space station.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvapproach.jpg
Credit: ESA
Liftoff of Jules Verne at the tip of a beefed up Ariane 5 rocket is set for 0403:04 GMT Sunday (11:03:04 p.m. EST Saturday) from the European-controlled spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch is timed for the instant Earth's rotation brings the ELA-3 launch pad into the space station's orbital path.
Senior leaders representing the European Space Agency, Arianespace, contractors, and other international partners met Wednesday in a launch readiness review to clear the mission for flight.
"We are very pleased to smoothly pass this milestone four days before launch as scheduled," said John Ellwood, ESA ATV project manager. "Now we really feel to be ready, and our Russian and NASA partners have expressed the same confidence."
The 17-story rocket will be rolled from its assembly building to the ELA-3 launch pad in Kourou on Friday. Once the Ariane 5 completes the 1.7-mile trip, workers will connect electrical and fluid lines between the launcher and ground systems in preparation for the final countdown, which will kick off around midday Saturday.
See our detailed countdown timeline here (http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/countdown.html).
Tipping the scales at 42,700 pounds, Jules Verne is more than two times heavier than any other spacecraft put into orbit by Europe. The first of five Automated Transfer Vehicles, the ship will deliver more than five tons of cargo to the station after going through a shakedown to make sure it is ready to approach the station.
The Ariane 5 rocket, a vehicle typically used to loft commercial communications satellites for launch provider Arianespace, was strengthened to handle the hefty mass. Engineers also had to make a few software changes because of the huge payload, and the launch will use an extended 56-foot payload fairing to house Jules Verne during the early minutes of flight.
Tipping the scales at 42,700 pounds, Jules Verne is more than two times heavier than any other spacecraft put into orbit by Europe. The first of five Automated Transfer Vehicles, the ship will deliver more than five tons of cargo to the station after going through a shakedown to make sure it is ready to approach the station.
The Ariane 5 rocket, a vehicle typically used to loft commercial communications satellites for launch provider Arianespace, was strengthened to handle the hefty mass. Engineers also had to make a few software changes because of the huge payload, and the launch will use an extended 56-foot payload fairing to house Jules Verne during the early minutes of flight.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvariane5.jpg
Credit: ESA
The rocket and its prized payload will have two opportunities to get off the ground Sunday and Monday mornings, European time. Under an agreement with NASA, the Ariane 5 will stand down Tuesday to give the shuttle Endeavour a chance to launch.
If Endeavour lifts off Tuesday, the Ariane 5 will try again beginning Wednesday morning, according to Kirk Shireman, NASA deputy station program manager.
The shuttle and the ATV can't launch on the same day because both vehicles use S-band communications through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, Shireman said.
Riding nearly three million pounds of thrust, the Ariane 5 will fly northeast from the Guiana Space Center after liftoff, jettisoning its twin solid rocket boosters less than two-and-a-half minutes later and exhausting its first stage about nine minutes into the launch. Its storable propellant upper stage will fire twice before Jules Verne is cast free from the launcher.
See our detailed launch timeline here (http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/launchtimeline.html).
Jules Verne will be deployed in a 162-mile-high orbit inclined 51.6 degrees to the equator. After separation, mission responsibility will switch from Kourou to the ATV control center in Toulouse, France.
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An artist's concept shows Jules Verne rising into orbit atop the Ariane rocket's upper stage. Credit: EADS Astrium
The upper stage will conduct a final burn about 90 minutes later to set a course for destruction as the spent rocket body plummets into the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
Jules Verne will begin its activation sequence moments after the Ariane 5 unleashes the spacecraft, turning on its electrical system, unfurling a communications antenna boom, and preparing for orbital operations.
"The ATV is switched on and the propulsion system is primed, the solar arrays are deployed, and we start the GPS, which provides the navigation in the first phase," said Bob Chesson, head of ESA's human spaceflight and exploration operations.
Waiting for station traffic to clear
Once controllers finish turning the ATV into a fully functional spaceship, attention will turn to its pursuit of the international space station. The first orbital "phasing" maneuver is scheduled for less than 12 hours after launch, beginning a three-week process to bring Jules Verne to the station's vicinity.
See our detailed mission timeline here (http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/mission.html).
The craft will spend its first ten days in space gradually shifting its orbit higher as ground controllers put the craft through a rigorous series of tests to confirm it is ready to approach the space station.
"The phasing period allows us to catch up with the space station and get it within our sights," Chesson said.
The comprehensive checkout will include an attitude control experiment, navigation tests using the ATV's GPS system, and the demonstration of a critical emergency thruster firing to be used if something goes awry during the final rendezvous.
The collision avoidance maneuver is an engine burn to push the ATV away from the station at a relative velocity of 11 miles per hour. That test is scheduled for approximately 0800 GMT (4:00 a.m. EDT) March 12.
Jules Verne will eventually arrive at a point about 1,200 miles in front of the space station by about March 19. The craft will hold in that orbit to wait out the shuttle Endeavour's visit to the station, which is scheduled to wrap up with an undocking on March 24.
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An artist's concept shows Endeavour leaving the space station. Credit: NASA
The station's international partners agreed to flight rules dictating that visiting spacecraft are not permitted to dock with the orbiting outpost while a shuttle is present.
Despite the conflict of Endeavour's mission, station managers opted to give the go-ahead for the ATV's launch.
"We'll launch as soon as ATV is ready, the launcher is ready, and the ground segment is ready," Ellwood said. "We then go to the space station and we have the option of immediately docking to the space station if the conditions are right, or we could loiter close to the space station."
The loitering philosophy will burn roughly 50 pounds of propellant per day, giving officials several options in their mission planning.
"We're actually more flexible in space than we are on the ground," said Alan Thirkettle, ESA space station program manager.
Demo Days pave way for docking
Once Endeavour departs the station, ESA controllers will resume putting Jules Verne through a checklist of pre-docking activities. The freighter will begin its push toward the station early on March 27, setting up for the first two "demo days" to showcase the craft's ability to autonomously fly in close proximity to the outpost.
"In each of those, we demonstrate various aspects of the ATV and prove that those features are working properly to ensure the safety of the vehicle and the station," Chesson said.
With ground controllers looking over the shoulder of Jules Verne, the craft will automatically fly toward the station through waypoints positioned at various distances from the complex. The ground team will give the "go" for the ATV to begin different phases of the rendezvous, but the ship's navigation and flight path will be generated on-board.
"The ATV control center monitors it all the time and we are able, if things go wrong, to interrupt in quite a significant way. If we spot a problem, for instance, we can initiate an escape maneuver and go off and do a thorough checkout of the spacecraft and even patch the software if necessary to allow us to make another attempt at rendezvous. There is a lot that the control center can do," Chesson said.
Initially positioned at an "interface point" 24 miles behind and three miles below the space station, Jules Verne will close within 2.2 miles during the first day of demonstrations, currently set for March 29. The ATV ground control center will then command the engines to fire in an escape maneuver to take the spacecraft to a safe orbit, wrapping up the nearly four-hour flight test.
The first demo day will test the long- and medium-range rendezvous navigation system, which relies on GPS antennas affixed to both the station and Jules Verne to produce accurate and timely range and closing rate information. The data is fed into the ATV's computers to plot a course toward the craft's next holding point.
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The first Demo Day is planned for March 29. Credit: NASA/ESA
Engineers will analyze telemetry streaming back to Earth from Jules Verne and brief the space station mission management team on March 30. The team will approve the next step in the mission if the spacecraft behaved as expected, Chesson said.
A docking dress rehearsal is penciled in for March 31, assuming everything goes as planned on demo day one. Starting again from the interface point 24 miles behind and three miles below the space station, Jules Verne will move to a distance of 817 feet from the complex using GPS navigation.
At that point, the ATV's high-tech navigation system will begin using data from a suite of eye-like optical sensors attached to the forward end of the ship. Two videometers, working simultaneously with one in standby mode, will fire pulses of laser light toward the station one-to-ten times per second.
Acting as space mirrors, 26 reflectors positioned on the back end of the station's Zvezda service module will beam the laser beams back to the sensors on Jules Verne, creating unique light patterns captured on the ATV's cameras. The patterns will allow the ATV to autonomously determine its orientation, closing rate and distance from the space station.
Two other sensors known as telegoniometers will serve as watchdogs during the final rendezvous, Ellwood said.
The telegoniometers, similar to police radar guns, will also emit laser light at a different wavelength up to 10,000 times per second toward the reflectors. The light's travel time between Jules Verne and the station will determine range, while the direction of the station will be given by the angles of two built-in mirrors rotating to aim the laser at its target.
"We're the first vehicle which will completely automatically, using optical sensors, dock with the space station," Ellwood said.
The ATV's optical navigation system underwent a slate of tests on the ground to give engineers confidence the complicated sensors would work in space.
ESA tested the system using a mobile platform inside a nearly 2,000-foot-long building in France. The reflectors were attached to the platform and the ATV's optical sensors were placed on a robotic arm to imitate the spacecraft's movement.
"We did this very interesting and unique test of actually doing a real docking on the ground," Ellwood said.
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The second Demo Day is planned for March 31. Credit: NASA/ESA
ESA designed extra redundancy in the ATV's navigation system to mitigate the chances for a guidance failure close to the station, officials said.
"This is a unique technology that we've developed in Europe," Ellwood said. "We're really looking forward to seeing how it works."
The ATV is also fitted with Russia's Kurs rendezvous radar, a venerable system used to guide Soyuz and Progress capsules to automated dockings.
During the docking dress rehearsal, Jules Verne will follow a series of commands to demonstrate its ability to operate in tight quarters with the station.
"We will demonstrate the capability of ATV to hold, resume and retreat," Chesson said. "These are maneuvers that we could require if things don't go correctly during the rendezvous."
The ship will fly to a distance of less than 40 feet from the Zvezda docking port before pulling back to a point more than 60 feet away. Finally, the station's crew will give an escape command from inside the outpost to confirm they have the capability to abort a botched rendezvous.
In addition to the ground control center and astronauts aboard the station, the ATV's flight computers can also order an escape maneuver if they sense the rendezvous is going badly.
By the end of demo day two, officials expect the ATV to have proven all key features of its design, including GPS navigation and optical navigation, holds and retreats, ground- and crew-commanded escapes, and fine attitude control, Chesson said.
Engineers will also evaluate the performance of flight monitoring software overseeing the ATV's approach to the station. The system has the ability to abort operations if things go wrong.
The station mission management team will meet again on April 2 to give a formal "go" for docking if the ATV's demonstrations are successful.
"This will be a very exciting time, but we've really got to be sure that the vehicle is behaving exactly as we want," Ellwood said.
Officials expect to be able to remove the demonstrations from future ATV missions, reducing the launch-to-docking time to about 8 days, according to ESA.
Linking up with the station
"What we are doing actually amounts to a controlled collision with the space station - a very soft one," Chesson said.
Tentatively set for about 1420 GMT (10:20 a.m. EDT) April 3, Jules Verne's docking with the international space station must occur during a tight window stretching between March 30 and April 5.
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Docking is scheduled for April 3. Credit: NASA/ESA
The docking window is constrained by unfavorable solar angles that could hinder the ship's rendezvous. The sun's light might interfere with a camera mounted on the Zvezda docking port looking back toward the approaching ATV.
Engineers are also concerned that the light could confuse Jules Verne's intricate sensors that rely on clear visual cues between the craft and reflectors on the space station.
A Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to launch to the station with the Expedition 17 crew on April 8. The ATV will also be precluded from docking during the week-long crew handover, which is expected to end in mid-April.
Officials want to squeeze Jules Verne's docking before the Soyuz to avoid waiting up to two more weeks for the next rendezvous opportunity. The shuttle must also undock from the station early enough to allow the ATV to spend a week near the station for its rendezvous demonstrations.
"If the shuttle launches on the 11th or 12th (of March), we still have a shot at those demo days," Shireman said. "If the shuttle doesn't get off by the 12th, then what happens is the ATV will still launch, but it will wait until after the Soyuz joint mission is complete, and we'll do the demo days there."
Threading the needle between narrow docking windows will become even more common as the station continues to grow. At least five types of visiting vehicles could be flying to the station by the end of next year.
"There's quite a traffic flow going to the ISS. We're thinking about launching an air traffic controller here soon," Shireman joked.
Much like demo day two, the docking sequence will begin at the interface point before flying through the 2.2-mile hold point and arriving at the 817-foot mark behind the station, where navigation control will transition from GPS to optical instruments.
The Toulouse control center will evaluate the ATV's progress and issue "go" commands for the spacecraft to automatically move to hold points at roughly 65 feet and 30 feet, before giving approval for final approach and docking.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvlasers.jpg
Credit: ESA
The ATV will aim for a narrow corridor just one-half inch wide at the station's rear docking port. The diameter is roughly the size of a Euro coin or a U.S. dime.
"We do a sort of dance with the space station. They're under their own control system. We're under our control system. We're like a pair dancing on the floor. We come in very, very slowly so that we do not collide," Ellwood said.
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will monitor the rendezvous from a control station inside Zvezda. Although station crews can take over manual control if the automatic docking system fails on Russian spacecraft, no such course of action exists for the ATV.
"All they can do is actually press a red button and send us away if they feel it would be unsafe," Ellwood said.
The station's crew will follow the approach through a network of video cameras and a live radio link beaming data from the ATV to their console in Zvezda.
Whitson and Malenchenko trained two weeks in Germany to prepare for Jules Verne's mission. Multiple failures must occur before the crew would be asked to intervene during docking, said Jean-Francois Clervoy, an ESA astronaut advising the ATV project.
Malenchenko, the prime crew member in charge of ATV docking operations, can order an abort until the ATV reaches three feet from the Zvezda rear port. After that point, an emergency maneuver could do more harm than good, according to Chesson.
Engine plumes from Jules Verne's thrusters could damage the station when they are fired at close range. The abort cutoff point also takes into account the crew's reaction time, Chesson said.
Jules Verne's Russian-built docking probe will contact the station at a closing speed of one-sixth of a mile per hour, engaging Zvezda's cone and forming a loose connection between the two craft.
The ATV's extended docking probe will retract a few minutes later to bring the two craft together. Electrical and fluid connectors will be mated, and eight latches will lock to create an airtight seal.
Delivering its cargo
After Jules Verne is firmly connected to Zvezda and controllers finish pressure checks in the docking system, the crew will enter the ship. The cargo carrier hatch, measuring about 31 inches in diameter, will be opened for the crew to access the craft's cache of supplies.
"This is when the ATV mission in support of the international space station really starts," Chesson said.
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This cutaway graphic shows the interior of the ATV craft docked to the Zvezda module. Credit: ESA
The crew will offload more than 2,500 pounds of dry cargo aboard Jules Verne, including 1,100 pounds of food, 300 pounds of spare parts for the newly-delivered Columbus module, and storage support hardware for the Russian segment. The station residents will also receive about 176 pounds of fresh clothing, according to ESA.
The ATV will also carry two 19th century manuscripts of Jules Verne novels for a commemorative ceremony on the station.
After removing the dry cargo, the crew will begin stuffing Jules Verne's logistics carrier with waste material.
"We'll be using it a bit like the cupboard," Ellwood said.
The crew will hook up lines to transfer nearly 600 pounds of water for drinking, cleaning and food rehydration. Astronauts must also manually open valves to move 46 pounds of oxygen into the station's air supply, according to an EADS fact sheet.
Once fresh water is pumped inside the station, the crew can transfer liquid waste back into the water tanks.
About 1,900 pounds of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide housed inside Jules Verne's refueling tanks will flow into Zvezda. The propellant will be used for the station's primary propulsion system on the Russian segment of the complex.
The ATV will exhaust about 60 percent of its own 12,900-pound fuel supply during its flight to the station, leaving about 5,000 pounds of propellant to raise the station's altitude, steer the complex clear of orbital debris, and provide attitude control when the outpost's gyroscopes are down. Jules Verne must also keep a fuel reserve for the craft's suicidal de-orbit burn at the end of the mission.
Engineers on the ground will control refueling and re-boost operations.
All told, Jules Verne carries about 10,100 pounds of supplies for the station, including dry cargo and fluids.
After spending about four months at the international space station, Jules Verne will back away from the complex in the first week of August. The ATV is designed to stay at the station for up to six months, and officials could decide to extend the mission until October, according to an ESA spokesperson.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvdeorbit.jpg
ATV's mission ends with a plunge into the atmosphere. Credit: ESA
Two engine firings slow the ship's speed enough to slip into the atmosphere, destroying the craft and up to 14,000 pounds of the station's discarded waste over the South Pacific.
"That fiery end of the ATV mission really concludes the operations of Jules Verne," Chesson said.
The risks of automated dockings
ESA officials say they have worked incessantly to decrease the mission's potential risk to the station and its crew, especially since Jules Verne is a first-of-a-kind spacecraft flying to such an important destination.
Similar to technology used on NASA's DART satellite and the Pentagon's Orbital Express mission, the optical sensors on the ATV are the ship's prime source of navigation information during the final approach sequence to the station.
DART's 2005 mission, designed to operate without any input from the ground, ended in failure due to a cascading list of consequences stemming from a late change in the craft's software. The computer improperly processed navigation data from DART's GPS and optical sensors, causing the spacecraft to lose its orientation and go off course.
"It wasn't looked at across the entire system to see the effect of that change across the entire system," Suffredini said. "It's a lesson for us all to keep in mind whenever we are dealing with complicated spacecraft like this."
The U.S. military's Orbital Express mission successfully demonstrated autonomous rendezvous and docking using a visual guidance sensor last year, but like the ATV, controllers were actively keyed into the process through each step.
"DART was a totally automated vehicle. We turned it on and sent it on its way, and sure enough it had an interesting life. That is not the case with the ATV," Suffredini said.
"It is automated, so it knows what it's supposed to do, but along the way, particularly on this flight, it's going to take certain steps and stop. We're going to look at the data, ensure it is acting the way we expect it to act and we can implement an abort and have it fly away from the space station while we figure out whatever issue that we were worried about at the time," Suffredini said.
Suffredini said all station partners were consulted regarding ATV safety issues. The partners all signed off on the mission's risk, and control centers in Houston and Moscow will track the rendezvous, he said.
"It is a first time, but I think with all of the work that's been done on the ground and with the demonstration that's being done on orbit, and the fact that in the end we're using the docking mechanism of the Russian segment, so the final thing is a proven system. The combination of all of those things gives us a sufficient feeling of confidence that this is a working vehicle," Thirkettle said.
Suffredini, Thirkettle's NASA counterpart, agreed: "We talked a long time early in the program about whether or not we needed to try to create a target for the ATV to dock to, and we agreed with this approach to ensuring that we will fully understand what the spacecraft is actually going to do in orbit, and that we practice these specific aborts or escape scenarios to ensure that they would work, that approaching the ISS on its first flight was a safe thing to do."
"We'll have a bigger smile on our face when it's actually achieved, of course," Thirkettle said.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/preview.html
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvlasers.jpg
Credit: ESA
non vi ricorda un po' questo:
http://www.3dgrafix.net/autori/giul4.jpg (http://www.3dgrafix.net/images/Xwing03.jpg)
:wtf: :D
Frank1962
07-03-2008, 11:34
LOL :D
fosse di carico utile ....la metà dell'atv sono serbatoi e motore....
fosse di carico utile ....la metà dell'atv sono serbatoi e motore....
Eh beh, senza quelli fai un po' fatica a muoverti...
fosse di carico utile ....la metà dell'atv sono serbatoi e motore....
Gran parte del propellente è carico utile, dato che serve per il re-boost e il controllo dell'attitudine dell'ISS.
Arianespace Mission Update:
March 7, 2008
Ariane 5 moves to the launch pad with its ATV payload for the International Space Station
An historic Arianespace mission is ready for final countdown following today’s rollout of its Ariane 5 ES vehicle to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
This launcher – which carries Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) resupply spacecraft – is scheduled for an early morning March 9 liftoff on Ariane 5’s first flight in support of the International Space Station.
The Ariane 5’s rollout occurred this afternoon, with the vehicle emerging from its Final Assembly Building at 2:45 p.m. and arriving in the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone approximately 90 min. later.
For this 33rd commercial flight of the workhorse Arianespace launcher, the Ariane 5 ES version will fly a mission profile specific to its delivery of ATV into a circular low Earth orbit. The launcher’s EPS upper stage is to be ignited three times, in contrast to the single burn for typical Ariane 5 missions that carry telecommunication satellite payloads to geostationary transfer orbit.
The flight’s first EPS operation will be an eight-minute burn to place the upper stage and its ATV payload into an initial elliptical orbit with a perigee of 130 km. and a 260-km. apogee. Its second ignition, to occur 45 minutes later, will be a 30-second burn that circularizes the orbit and positions the EPS upper stage for its deployment of the ATV. A final EPS ignition is planned 90 minutes later, propelling the upper stage on a safe atmospheric re-entry for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Liftoff of the Ariane 5 ES with its ATV payload is now set for March 9 at 1:03 a.m. local time in French Guiana. This is several minutes later than the previous timing, reflecting a small readjustment involved in the orbital positioning of ATV for its subsequent rendezvous with the International Space Station in early April.
The ATV mission is the first of seven Ariane 5 flights planned for 2008 as Arianespace ramps up the cadence to meet growing international demand for its commercial launch services.
Preparations for the year’s second flight are well advanced, with the initial build-up of this mission’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA version nearing completion in the Spaceport’s Launcher Assembly Building. The ability to prepare two Ariane 5s simultaneously at the Spaceport is part of its designed-in flexibility, and is one of the keys that allows Arianespace to respond to its customers’ mission timing needs.
This second Ariane 5 flight of 2008 will carry a dual payload of commercial telecommunications satellites that includes the Star One C2 spacecraft for Brazilian operator Star One. Other Ariane 5 launches in 2008 will orbit the Herschel and Planck scientific payloads, as well as TerreStar 1 – the largest geostationary commercial communications satellite ever built.
---
http://www.arianespace.com/site/news/news_sub_missionupdate_index.html
La diretta per il lancio inizia alle ore 04:03 (ora italiana):
http://www.videocorner.tv/index.php?langue=en
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEM35OK26DF_0.html
Codename47
08-03-2008, 12:36
La diretta per il lancio inizia alle ore 04:03 (ora italiana):
http://www.videocorner.tv/index.php?langue=en
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEM35OK26DF_0.html
Accidenti, tra questo e l'Endeavour mi sa che me li perdo entrambi... :muro: Vedo se riesco ad essere a casa per quell'ora
La diretta per il lancio inizia alle ore 04:03 (ora italiana):
04:03 ... PM, vero? :angel:
04:03 ... PM, vero? :angel:
anche si, ma -12 ore... :D
anche si, ma -12 ore... :D
Allora mi vedo il replay, col cavolo che resto rincoglionito di sonno per due giorni per guardarmi 5 minuti di lancio :D
Allora mi vedo il replay, col cavolo che resto rincoglionito di sonno per due giorni per guardarmi 5 minuti di lancio :D
67 minuti! Direi che ne vale la pena! :D
67 minuti! Direi che ne vale la pena! :D
Ma sì, son 67 minuti, ma se non esplode passati i 5 minuti della partenza è tutto uguale :D
0358 GMT (10:58 p.m. EST Sat.)
Minus-5 minutes and counting. Status panels in the control center remain green, indicating all systems are "go" for liftoff tonight.
0359 GMT (10:59 p.m. EST Sat.)
Minus-4 minutes. Pressurization is now underway for the main cryogenic stage's liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks. Also, final pyrotechnic arming is starting.
0401 GMT (11:01 p.m. EST Sat.)
Minus-2 minutes. The Vulcain main engine supply valves are being opened. Also, the ground valves for engine chilldown are being closed.
0402 GMT (11:02 p.m. EST Sat.)
Minus-1 minute. A fast-paced series of events leading to launch will begin at Minus-37 seconds when the automated ignition sequence is started. The water suppression system at the launch pad will start at Minus-30 seconds. At Minus-22 seconds, overall control will be given to the onboard computer. The Vulcain main engine will be readied for ignition with hydrogen chilldown starting at Minus-18 seconds. The residual hydrogen burn flares will fire beneath the Vulcain engine at Minus-6 seconds to burn away any free hydrogen gas. At Minus-3 seconds, onboard systems take over and the two inertial guidance systems go to flight mode. Vulcain main engine ignition occurs at Minus-0 seconds with checkout between Plus+4 and 7 seconds. If there are no problems found, the solid rocket boosters are ignited at Plus+7.0 seconds for liftoff at Plus+7.3 seconds.
0402 GMT (11:02 p.m. EST Sat.)
Minus-40 seconds. Ariane 5 is running on internal power.
0403 GMT (11:03 p.m. EST Sat.)
LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Ariane 5 rocket with Jules Verne, Europe's first Automated Transfer Vehicle to supply the International Space Station!
0403 GMT (11:03 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+40 seconds. The launcher has completed its pitch and roll maneuvers to align with the northeastward trajectory to reach the International Space Station's orbit.
0404 GMT (11:04 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+60 seconds. The Ariane 5 has roared away from the South American jungle launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The combined power generated by the twin solid rocket boosters and liquid-fueled main stage engine are propelling this heaviest-ever Ariane payload into the overcast nighttime sky. The rocket has gone transsonic and is nearing the region of maximum aerodynamic pressure.
0405 GMT (11:05 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+2 minutes, 28 seconds. The solid rocket boosters have been jettisoned from the Ariane 5 rocket's core stage. The liquid-fueled Vulcain main engine continues to fire to propel the vehicle and its satellite payload to space.
0405 GMT (11:05 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+2 minutes, 45 seconds. Altitude is 81 km, velocity is 2.1 km/sec.
0405 GMT (11:05 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+3 minutes, 33 seconds. The protective payload fairing enclosing the ATV spacecraft has been separated from the Ariane 5.
0407 GMT (11:07 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+4 minutes, 15 seconds. No problems have been reported in the Ariane's initial ascent tonight. Altitude is 124 km, velocity is 2.7 km/sec.
0408 GMT (11:08 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+5 minutes. Altitude is 134 km, velocity is 3.19 km/sec.
0409 GMT (11:09 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+6 minutes. Altitude is 138 km, velocity is 4 km/sec. The rocket is flying through the portion of launch in which its trajectory levels out in order to gain speed.
0410 GMT (11:10 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+7 minutes. Altitude is 135 km, velocity is 4.79 km/sec.
0411 GMT (11:11 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+8 minutes. Coming up on main stage shutdown in about one minute. Altitude is 130 km, velocity is 5.8 km/sec.
0412 GMT (11:12 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+9 minutes. The main cryogenic stage's Vulcain engine has cut off. The spent stage has separated for its fall back into the atmosphere over the Atlantic Ocean to burn up, impacting off the Iberian Peninsula.
0412 GMT (11:12 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+9 minutes, 10 seconds. The upper stage of Ariane 5 rocket -- the storable propellant stage -- has ignited for the first of its two burns required to place the ATV spacecraft into the intended orbit tonight.
0413 GMT (11:13 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+10 minutes, 30 seconds. Altitude is 143 km, velocity is 7.11 km/sec.
0414 GMT (11:14 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+11 minutes, 30 seconds. About six minutes remaining in this burn. The upper stage's Aestus engine is burning hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide storable propellants to continue the push toward orbit.
0417 GMT (11:17 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+14 minutes. The burn continues in progress. The upper stage headed for a 260 by 137 km parking orbit where it will coast for 45 minutes until the Aestus engine reignites to circularize the orbit for deployment of the ATV.
0420 GMT (11:20 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+17 minutes, 14 seconds. Shutdown 1. The upper stage's Aestus engine has completed its first firing of the night, shutting down after reaching a preliminary parking orbit.
0428 GMT (11:28 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+25 minutes. The rocket is passing high over Europe now, with its track to continue above Asia and then head southeasterly. The next engine burn will occur once the vehicle passes over Australia.
0433 GMT (11:33 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+30 minutes. During this phase of the flight, the Ariane rocket is out of ground tracking station coverage. Telemetry from the vehicle during the upcoming engine firing and deployment of ATV will resume when it flies within range of the Invercargill station in New Zealand.
Ariane also has available stations tonight in Dongara and Adelaide, Australia.
0445 GMT (11:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+42 minutes. Ariane has about 20 minutes remaining in this quiet coast.
0458 GMT (11:58 p.m. EST Sat.)
Plus+55 minutes. Typical Ariane launches feature just one firing of the upper stage to propel satellites into orbit. But tonight's mission requires a two-step process to place the ATV into the desired orbit. And, in fact, the spent stage will perform a third burn later to deorbit itself.
0503 GMT (12:03 a.m. EST)
Plus+60 minutes. Now one hour since the Ariane 5 rocket roared off its jungle launch pad in South America. The rocket is heading off the southeastern coast of Australia where the upper stage engine will fire to life again in about two minutes.
0504 GMT (12:04 a.m. EST)
Plus+61 minutes. Communications have resumed with the Ariane 5 rocket via the next downrange tracking station. Altitude is 269 km, velocity is 7.41 km/sec.
0505 GMT (12:05 a.m. EST)
Plus+62 minutes, 10 seconds. Ignition! The Ariane 5 rocket's upper stage is firing for a second time to deliver the Automated Transfer Vehicle to its injection orbit.
0505 GMT (12:05 a.m. EST)
Plus+62 minutes, 41 seconds. Shutdown 2. The Ariane 5 rocket's upper stage has accomplished its second firing for the launch of Jules Verne. This completes the powered phase of tonight's launch.
0507 GMT (12:07 a.m. EST)
Plus+64 minutes, 30 seconds. Arianespace says the desired orbital velocity has been achieved by the Ariane 5 rocket.
0509 GMT (12:09 a.m. EST)
Plus+66 minutes, 42 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! Europe's new robotic space cargo freighter, the Automated Transfer Vehicle named Jules Verne, has been released from the Ariane 5 rocket's upper stage. The supply ship has embarked on its voyage to the International Space Station, with docking scheduled for April 3.
0509 GMT (12:09 a.m. EST)
Cheers of joy and relief have erupted in the Jupiter Control Center! The ATV has arrived in space for its maiden mission.
Un grande successo per l'Europa, ma ora viene la parte più delicata: i test in orbita e il primo docking automatico!
Ti ho visto un po' solitario nella cronaca :asd: :D
Un grande successo per l'Europa, ma ora viene la parte più delicata: i test in orbita e il primo docking automatico!
Si, tra l'altro ora si puo' anche essere ragionevolmente sicuri della capacita' di carico dell'Ariane in questa configurazione extra-large.
Ora pero' vediamo come se la cava l'ATV con le sue manovre di avvicinamento (ed evasive ;) )
danny2005
09-03-2008, 11:17
Lo speaker francese è moscissimo!
Imparate dalla NASA! :read:
Sarà anche la lingua eh...l'inglese rende meglio...........
Ti ho visto un po' solitario nella cronaca :asd: :D
Eh, praticamente sentivo l'eco!
:cry:
Lo speaker francese è moscissimo!
Imparate dalla NASA! :read:
Sarà anche la lingua eh...l'inglese rende meglio...........
?
Lo speaker è ingelese (nel senso stretto del termine), il commentatore tecnico è francese.
Ah parte poi, IMHO, che qualsiasi lingua è meglio dell'inglese (:D), molti americani su altri forum si complimentano sempre con la qualità del coverage di Arianespace, con molti servizi interessanti e le informazioni principali della telemetria in sovraimpressione. Su questo dicono sempre che NASA TV dovrebbe imparare qualcosa, ma soprattutto gli altri operatori commerciali come ULA e ILS, che non prevedono nemmeno un decende live coverage. :)
Per concludere, la notizia più rilevante:
0543 GMT (12:43 a.m. EST)
"ATV is fully alive," says European astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy.
0541 GMT (12:41 a.m. EST)
The solar arrays have successfully deployed. All four wings unfolded their panels to power the Automated Transfer Vehicle during its life in space.
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
Europe's space cargo ship embarks on maiden voyage
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 9, 2008
A first-of-a-kind robotic space transporter with a futuristic autopilot control system journeyed into orbit early Sunday, embarking on a mission to track down the international space station using the most advanced space technology ever developed in Europe.
The 42,700-pound cargo-laden spaceship, named Jules Verne for the visionary 19th century science fiction writer, was tucked inside Europe's workhorse Ariane 5 rocket for the dramatic blastoff.
"We are embarking upon an extraordinary voyage," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA director general. "It is no longer just a book written by Jules Verne, this is a reality."
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/ariane5launchatv.jpg
The Ariane 5 rocket fires into the clouds with the ATV spacecraft aboard. Credit: ESA/Nadia Imbert-Vier
Articolo:
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/
Codename47
09-03-2008, 13:00
Eccomi :mc: Come previsto mi sono perso il lancio :cry: Vado subito a vedere i replays
Gli ingegneri di EADS Astrium e il Team della missione ATV-1 stanno verificando le cause di un porblema con un'unità di controllo (PDE) dei thrusters che danno la propulsione all'ATV. Ciascun PDE controlla 1/4 dei thrusters a bordo.
Sembra che il problema sia dovuto ad una differenza di pressione tra l'ossidante (ossigeno) e il combustibile (monometil-idrazina), per cui l'unità di controllo dedicata ha "switchato" alla seconda catena di controllo della propulsione (su un totale di quattro ridondanti), come previsto dal software.
Non dovrebbe essere un problema serio, speriamo.
http://www.esa.int/images/Hissage_SpaceCraft_126_H.jpg
Nota: i PDE sono quei rack neri attaccati alla parete.
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
Engineers assess problem aboard Jules Verne craft
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 9, 2008
An electronics box on Europe's first cargo ship shut down a propulsion system command chain responsible for a quarter of the space-age delivery truck's maneuvering thrusters, officials said Sunday.
"We really don't think it's anything serious, but we're studying it prudently," said Alan Thirkettle, the European Space Agency's international space station program manager.
Officials stationed in a control center in Toulouse, France, are working feverishly to analyze a problem that appeared in one of four sets of electronics governing the propulsion system of Jules Verne, the first European Automated Transfer Vehicle.
During the propulsion system's activation sequence moments after reaching orbit, Jules Verne's computers noticed a slight pressure difference between the ship's hydrazine fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer being fed through valves. The suspect chain controls seven of 28 attitude control jets and one the ship's four main engines, according to Nicolas Chamussy, ATV program manager for contractor EADS Astrium.
"This is something we're looking at in a lot of detail now," said John Ellwood, ATV project manager. "I think the very good news is that all the failure detection and recovery action all went perfectly. It measured a small anomaly, immediately went onto the other chain, which is working perfectly."
Jules Verne's main engines are positioned at the back end of the spacecraft, while the smaller thrusters are scattered across the exterior of the ship.
The system is certified to work with three electronics chains, but officials want the cushion of a backup system, particularly during precise maneuvers near the space station.
"There is an off-nominal situation somewhere in one of the four propulsion chains, and that's what we now investigate," Thirkettle told Spaceflight Now.
In the meantime, managers ordered controllers to temporarily halt plans for the vessel's first major engine firing later today. The maneuver was the first in a series of burns designed to raise the ship's altitude, culminating in the craft's arrival in a parking orbit about 1,200 miles in front of the station by March 19.
"We will be a bit cautious now because we're now on a redundant chain, so we don't want to go on another redundant chain," Ellwood said.
ESA and EADS Astrium engineers are devising a plan to reintegrate the electronics that ordered the switch into the propulsion system's command structure over the next few days. Ellwood said he expects the reconfigured electronics will help engineers determine what happened in the first propulsion chain.
The electronics system is designed to turn itself off after switching chains in case the problem lies within the electronics box itself.
The issue could be due to an electronic fault or a problem within a maze of propellant and helium gas lines leading from Jules Verne's tanks to the ship's thrusters, Ellwood said.
A command box called Propulsion Drive Electronics, or PDE, controls the extensive network of tanks, pipes, valves, and thrusters.
"What happened last night was the PDE detected there was some difference in the pressures between the (nitrogen tetroxide) and the (hydrazine), said this is an anomaly, and as planned, the software took over and put it onto the other chain," Ellwood said.
If engineers are able to resolve the issue, the chain could be restored to operational capability after extensive testing, Chamussy said.
Officials said engineers have ample time to diagnose the trouble. Jules Verne was to have loitered ahead of the outpost for more than a week to wait out the shuttle Endeavour's assembly mission to the complex, scheduled to wrap up with an undocking March 24.
Plans then called for the ATV to move toward the station, conducting two "demo days" to check out its rendezvous capabilities before pressing ahead with docking April 3.
"We have the 10-day margin before we need to start going into demo days at the end of the month," Ellwood said.
The electronics snafu is the first glitch in Jules Verne's mission, which began smoothly at 0403 GMT Sunday (11:03 p.m. EST Saturday night) with blastoff from the French-controlled spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The heavy-lifting Ariane 5 rocket, specially modified for the ATV mission, released Jules Verne at about 0510 GMT (12:10 a.m. EST). Telemetry from the nearly 43,000-pound spacecraft confirmed it unfurled its four solar array wings and deployed a critical communications boom within the first three hours after launch.
"We can simulate until the cows come home, but this is the first opportunity the control team has to work a real off-nominal situation," Thirkettle said.
---
Articolo:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/080309prop.html
Quincy_it
10-03-2008, 08:18
Presente.
Speriamo il problema non sia nulla di grave. :sperem:
La propulsione e' stata ripristinata al 100% sull'ATV:
l'articolo sul sito ESA:
Jules Verne on track for long journey to ISS
http://www.esa.int/images/compareatv_array_low400.jpg
11 March 2008
Following an overnight recovery operation, Jules Verne ATV's propulsion system has successfully been restored to full robustness. The spacecraft has since performed the first orbital manoeuvres necessary to set up phasing with the International Space Station.
Flight control and engineering support teams analysed the data coming from the Automated Transfer Vehicle's on board computers which, after activation of the propulsion system following Sunday's launch, had detected a significant difference in pressure between the oxidiser and the fuel that compose the propellant and had disabled part of the propulsion system. A course of action was implemented overnight to resume the nominal mission.
L'articolo completo:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJE7M5NDF_index_0.html
l'articolo su spaceflightnow:
Jules Verne propulsion system glitch resolved
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 11, 2008
Two days after an electronics box cut off a quarter of a European space station resupply ship's propulsion system, controllers successfully revived the suspect command chain and tested its ability to work properly during a series of engine firings Tuesday.
Moments after arriving in orbit early Sunday, propulsion system electronics on Europe's Jules Verne cargo spacecraft detected trouble within one of four command chains governing the ship's four main engines and 28 smaller thrusters.
The computers noticed an unacceptable pressure difference between Jules Verne's hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants, according to the European Space Agency.
The problematic circuit, responsible for one of Jules Verne's main engines and seven maneuvering jets, was automatically removed from the propulsion system and replaced by another chain.
[...]
Engineers traced the problem to an issue within the chain's helium gas system, which is used to pressurize the craft's propellants, according to ESA officials.
The team at the ATV mission control center reintegrated the downed chain in the propulsion system Monday.
"In a complex operation, commands to reintegrate an electronics box which drives that part of the propulsion system were up-linked to the spacecraft from within the ATV control center in Toulouse, France," ESA said in a written statement. "After the entire propulsion system was disabled, all four propulsion chains were progressively enabled, thereby restoring full failure tolerance."
L'articolo completo:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/080311prop.html
Bravo Oct, mi hai preceduto! ;)
Bravo Oct, mi hai preceduto! ;)
;)
di tanto in tanto riesco a dare qualche contributo :)
Proseguono i tests per l'ATV
Jules Verne demonstrates flawless Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre
14 March 2008
http://www.esa.int/images/IMG_6387_L,1.jpg
Mission controllers followed today's demonstration from the ATV Control Centre
Mission controllers received confirmation shortly after 10:45 CET (09:45 UT) this morning that Jules Verne ATV had successfully demonstrated the critical Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre. The crucial test began at 08:57 CET (07:57 UT), and included placing the spacecraft into a minimally functioning 'survival' mode.
The in-flight Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre, or CAM, demonstration was necessary to prove that the spacecraft could reliably move away from the ISS in case of any problems during the final rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station. Upon detection of a critical failure or an unsafe situation, the spacecraft's Monitoring and Safing Unit (MSU) is designed to isolate the ATV's nominal systems and issue a CAM command.
"It went perfectly - the MSU commanded ATV exactly as expected. After that, we had a perfect recovery of the spacecraft, from sun-pointing safe mode, and we reset the on-board computers. ATV is back in cruise mode," said Alberto Novelli, ESA's Mission Director at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France.
l'articolo intero:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWJMM5NDF_index_0.html
European space freighter checks avoidance feature
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 16, 2008
Europe's Jules Verne space station transporter successfully completed a critical engine firing early Friday, proving it can steer clear of the orbiting complex if struck by a major problem during final approach.
The hour-and-a-half process demonstrated Jules Verne's collision avoidance maneuver, or CAM, a firing of four of the ship's attitude control thrusters that would push the craft away from the station at a relative velocity of around 11 miles per hour.
"It's good to have this tool in our back pocket," said John Ellwood, the mission's project manager.
Jules Verne, the first of five Automated Transfer Vehicles to service the space station, began its pursuit of the outpost this week after engineers overcame a propulsion system snafu that took out a quarter of the ship's thrusters shortly after its March 9 launch.
The ATV was more than 10,000 miles behind the space station during Friday's test, so controllers commanded the craft to move away from an imaginary point in space.
l'articolo intero:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/080316cam.html
l'ATV ha ora una sua rete di comunicazione
Artemis provides communications for Jules Verne ATV
14 March 2008
ESA's Artemis data relay satellite, controlled from Fucino (Italy) and with its mission control centre and Earth terminal located at Redu (Belgium), is providing communications between the Jules Verne ATV and the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse (France).
http://www.esa.int/images/corv_92_L,4.jpg
Jules Verne ATV was launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 05:03 CET on 9 March. First contact between Artemis and the ATV was established at 06:46, exactly on schedule.
Artemis communicates with Jules Verne, receiving telemetry and sending telecommands, each time the two spacecraft are within sight of one another. During every ATV orbit, there is around 40 minutes of continuous contact. Artemis will provide dedicated support to Jules Verne throughout the free-flying phase of its mission - up to the docking planned for 3 April. After docking, Artemis' data relay resource will be shared between ATV and ESA's Envisat Earth observation mission.
Artemis is in geostationary orbit over the Atlantic Ocean. It has three main purposes:
* the provision of voice and data communications between mobile terminals in remote areas of Europe and North Africa, as well as in the Atlantic
* performing a key role within Europe's EGNOS satellite navigation system by broadcasting enhanced GPS and GLONASS signals for use by civilian 'safety critical' transport and navigational services
* the provision of inter-orbit satellite communication using advanced S- and Ka-band radio links and laser technology
http://www.esa.int/images/Redu_Station_2005_400x300.jpg
Aerial view of ESA's Redu ground station
Artemis is operated from ESA's facility at Redu, which houses the spacecraft's mission control centre and a Ka-band ground terminal with a 13.5-metre dish antenna.
The task of communicating with Jules Verne is shared between Artemis and NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS).
The inter-orbit communications services provided by Artemis are precursors to a proposed future European satellite data relay system.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEM6BOM5NDF_0.html
Shooting a Par-3 hole in space: Three steps to ATV docking
http://www.esa.int/images/atv_demo_docking_H.jpg
20 March 2008
Jules Verne ATV is lining up for Europe's first-ever automated docking in space. Following two demonstrations, the final 'putt' must be more accurate and gentle than on any rolling golf green.
Now that the vessel is 'on the green' - in a parking orbit 2000 m ahead of the ISS - ATV mission controllers must pace the spacecraft through two pending and crucial demonstration dockings, moving successively closer to the ISS, and then finally go for an actual rendezvous and docking attempt on 3 April.
ATV Control Centre: tight teamwork
Imagine the muscles, tendons, nerves and bones that must work in exquisite coordination and timing in a golfer's body to cause the ball to ultimately roll into the hole. It's the same with the ATV rendezvous and docking: A large number of people, computers, networks and systems must work in tight synchronisation - with fraction-of-a-second timing - to set Jules Verne on the last automatic leg of its docking.
http://www.esa.int/images/vlcsnap-77177_small,0.png
A. Novelli, Head of ATV Mission operations
The challenge is enormous and a successful first attempt will depend on very tight teamwork, excellent coordination and a superb understanding of the spacecraft and its complex automated control systems.
"The spacecraft is functioning perfectly, the team is very well trained and we are looking forward to an excellent first docking attempt on 3 April. It will be complex, but after our successful launch and early orbit phase, and the transfer to the parking orbit, the entire team here on the ground has gained a lot of confidence in themselves and in Jules Verne," says Alberto Novelli, ESA's Mission Director at the ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, France.
The ATV's automated Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM) capability was successfully tested in-flight on 14 March, and other functions of the sophisticated docking control system will be tested in two Demonstration Days, on 29 and 31 March. The manoeuvres are planned using a series of way-points and station points in the vicinity of the ISS, indicated as S-1, S0, S1, S2 and so on, which map out a complex series of dynamic orbital trajectories and zones.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEMQ29N5NDF_0.html
L'ATV passa con successo tutti i test di avvicinamento all'ISS
L'attracco e' previsto per domani (3 aprile)
Impressive dress-rehearsal for Jules Verne ATV
http://www.esa.int/images/docking_video_system_screen.jpg
Jules Verne ATV seen 246.5 m metres from the Russian module
31 March 2008
Jules Verne ATV today approached the International Space Station to within 11 m of the docking port on the Russian Zvezda module. The approach was part of a second ATV demonstration day which clears the way for the first rendezvous and docking attempt on 3 April.
“I’m known for my understatements, but the only word that comes to mind about today is impressive,” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. “It was impressive to see how Jules Verne, the staff at the ATV Control Centre, the control centres in Moscow and Houston pulled together today. It was a perfect dress-rehearsal for Thursday.”
Today’s manoeuvres included the first demonstration of the critical optical navigation system, using the European-developed Videometer technology. It was confirmed that ATV can use this system to autonomously navigate to within 11 m of the ISS.
“This demonstration day confirmes the performance of the vehicle is even better than we had hoped for,” said Nicolas Chamussy, Astrium ATV Project Manager. “This is a world premier for automated rendezvous using optical sensors, following the world’s first demonstration of relative GPS navigation between Jules Verne and the Station performed on Saturday.”
“Today was an important success for the Toulouse control centre to orchestrate a human-rated mission with the Station and it is a main step which is very promising for the docking attempt on Thursday,” added Lionel Baize, ATV-CC Project Manager for the French space agency, CNES. “It is an incredible challenge to have three control centres working together and to interact live with the ISS crew.”
Mission controllers at the ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, France, also confirmed they could issue very specific commands to Jules Verne, including Hold Retreat and Resume. These commands may have to be issued if any unforeseen problems occur in the ATV’s automatic guidance system.
Today’s demonstration also included the first active participation of the ISS crew in the mission. Once ATV had reached the 11-metre stand-off point, the astronauts were instructed to issue a Retreat command bringing Jules Verne back to the 19-metre point. The crew then issued an Escape command, which automatically took Jules Verne to a safe location away from the ISS.
The close approach to the ISS presented the ATV team with an opportunity to inspect some thermal blankets on the exterior of the spacecraft that had become degraded. “These were in exactly the positions that our thermal analysis had predicted. At the moment we do not envisage that this will have any impact on Thursday’s planned first docking attempt,” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. “We have addressed with our ISS partners the increase in power we might need to maintain the temperatures and we foresee no problems.”
Data collected during Demonstration Day 2 will be made available to ISS managers for their go-ahead to proceed with a first docking attempt on Thursday. Jules Verne ATV is scheduled to dock with ISS at 16:41 CEST (14:41 UT) on 3 April.
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMSGE5QGEF_index_0.html
2008-04-03 17:44
'Jules Verne' agganciata alla Iss
Veicolo trasferimento automatico dell'Esa restera' per 6 mesi
(ANSA) - FRASCATI (ROMA), 3 APR - La navetta europea Jules Verne si e' agganciata alla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale (Iss). Adesso il Veicolo di trasferimento automatico (Atv) dell'Agenzia Spaziale Europea (Esa) e' diventato parte integrante della stazione orbitale e restera' agganciato ad essa per sei mesi. Il portello sara' aperto domani per un 'ingresso parziale' necessario a ripulire l'aria della navetta da gas pericolosi. L'equipaggio della Iss potra' accedere dopodomani.
Quincy_it
03-04-2008, 17:59
2008-04-03 17:44
'Jules Verne' agganciata alla Iss
Veicolo trasferimento automatico dell'Esa restera' per 6 mesi
(ANSA) - FRASCATI (ROMA), 3 APR - La navetta europea Jules Verne si e' agganciata alla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale (Iss). Adesso il Veicolo di trasferimento automatico (Atv) dell'Agenzia Spaziale Europea (Esa) e' diventato parte integrante della stazione orbitale e restera' agganciato ad essa per sei mesi. Il portello sara' aperto domani per un 'ingresso parziale' necessario a ripulire l'aria della navetta da gas pericolosi. L'equipaggio della Iss potra' accedere dopodomani.
Grandi! :ave:
Un piccolo grande passo per l'Esa. :)
Direi proprio un enorme passo dati gli sforzi, i soldi e le sfide tecniche passate con successo! ;)
Da SpaceFlightNow.com:
Europe's new cargo freighter safely docks to space station
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: April 3, 2008
Europe's Jules Verne spaceship glided into port at the international space station Thursday, delivering more than 10,000 pounds of supplies to the complex and completing nearly a month of testing to prove the craft's revolutionary navigation system worked.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/images/atvapproach.jpg
---
Articolo:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v181/080403docking.html
ma ora l'ATV che e' attraccato manterra' i pannelli solari estesi o verranno ripiegati?
ma ora l'ATV che e' attraccato manterra' i pannelli solari estesi o verranno ripiegati?
Ma piuttosto, ora che il cargo è attaccato, pure lo shuttle può attaccarsi?
ma ora l'ATV che e' attraccato manterra' i pannelli solari estesi o verranno ripiegati?
Rimangono estesi sempre. l'ATV utilizza cmq l'energia prodotta dai suoi pannelli.
Ma piuttosto, ora che il cargo è attaccato, pure lo shuttle può attaccarsi?
Certo, altrimenti per 6 mesi non potrebbero fare missioni Shuttle... :D
Gli accordi tra NASA e gli altri partners vietano il docking o l'undocking di due navette contemporaneamente o di un'altro mezzo mentre lo Shuttle è nei pressi della stazione o attraccato ad essa.
Certo, altrimenti per 6 mesi non potrebbero fare missioni Shuttle... :D
Gli accordi tra NASA e gli altri partners vietano il docking o l'undocking di due navette contemporaneamente o di un'altro mezzo mentre lo Shuttle è nei pressi della stazione o attraccato ad essa.
Beh son stati fermi degli anni, sei mesi in più ci potevano stare :D
No in realtà pensavo non potessero agganciarsi perchè non hai ancora aperto un thread sulla nuova missione dello shuttle e sappiamo tutti che la NASA aspetta che tu apra la discussione per partire :asd:
albertoz85
04-04-2008, 19:19
Beh son stati fermi degli anni, sei mesi in più ci potevano stare :D
Si ma sono 6 mesi ogni 17 mesi...
ATV utilizza uno dei portelli di Progress e Soyuz sul lato Russo, che non è quello dello shuttle il quale aggancia sul lato internazionale, i due mezzi non si ostacolano.
No in realtà pensavo non potessero agganciarsi perchè non hai ancora aperto un thread sulla nuova missione dello shuttle e sappiamo tutti che la NASA aspetta che tu apra la discussione per partire :asd:
Vuoi vedere che tutto il casino di Alitalia l'hanno creato loro per non farmi partire per NY, dato che originariamente la prossima missione era fissata per il 24 aprile (guarda casa il giorno della mia partenza)?
:sofico:
2008-04-05 13:18
Equipaggio Iss entra in Jules Verne
Ora potranno cominciare scarico dei materiali arrivati da Terra
(ANSA) - ROMA, 5 APR - I tre membri dell'equipaggio della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale sono entrati all'interno della navetta europea Jules Verne. Per la prima volta ci sono degli astronauti all'interno del Veicolo di trasferimento automatico dell'Agenzia Spaziale Europea. Ora Peggy Whitson (il comandante), Yuri Malenchenko e Garrett Reisman potranno cominciare lo scarico dei materiali (viveri, strumentazione scientifica, posta, abiti) che la navetta ha portato sulla Iss.
Jules Verne boosts ISS orbit
25 April 2008
ESA's Jules Verne ATV was used for the first time early this morning to raise the orbit of the International Space Station. A 740-second burn of the Automated Transfer Vehicle's main engines successfully lifted the altitude of the 280-tonne Station by around 4.5 km to a height of 342 km above the Earth's surface.
After the ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, France, had 'woken up' Jules Verne ATV, the manoeuvre started at 06:22 CEST (04:22 GMT) this morning and provided a 2.65 m/s thrust using two of the ATV's four main engines. Controllers at ATV-CC closely monitored ATV's subsystems throughout the long manoeuvre.
l'articolo completo:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMPEISZEFF_index_0.html
il filmato esplicativo:
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV_REBOOST_M.swf?desturl=SEMPEISZEFF_index_1.html#subhead2
alcuni aggiornamenti:
Premiere for Europe: Jules Verne refuels the ISS
18 June 2008
ESA’s Jules Verne ATV was used for the first time yesterday to transfer in one step 811 kg of refuelling propellant to the International Space Station while the two vehicles orbited Earth at 28 000 km/h. With this premiere for Europe, Jules Verne becomes the first western spaceship to succeed in refuelling another space infrastructure in orbit.
http://www.esa.int/images/iss016e034191_L,1.jpg
It took less than half an hour to automatically transfer about 280 kg of the Russian UDMH (Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine) propellant fuel and 530 kg of Nitrogen Tetroxide (N2O4), (which provides a source of oxygen so the fuel can ignite and burn in orbit) to the International Space Station's (ISS) own Russian-built propulsion tanks.
Because of the toxic and explosive characteristics of the hydrazine, the transfer is done through dedicated pipes located outside the pressurized structures of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and the Station. The fuel lines run from the ATV, through the docking mechanism to the Space Station's own plumbing.
http://www.esa.int/images/IMG_9890_large,0.JPG
Automatic
The ISS crew was not involved in the refuelling operation – at the time they were busy preparing for a spacewalk scheduled for early July. ATV was prepared for refuelling operations by ATV Control Centre in Toulouse. After the necessary verifications to ensure no leakage was present in the complete ATV piping system, Moscow Control Centre initiated the automatic refuelling procedure sequence, with the active support of the small Engineering Support Team co-located in the Moscow Control Centre.
“We are impressed by this new achievement of Jules Verne ATV, which went without a hitch. And we really have to congratulate the teams of RSC Energia, Astrium and Thales Alenia Space for their years of efforts to integrate the Russian refuelling system in the ATV from the hardware and software point of view” said Massimo Cislaghi, ESA's leader of the Engineering Support Team.
During the refuelling operation, some 20 people were working on the ISS in the Moscow Control Centre, with 5 Russian ATV experts and 3 ESA ATV specialists who all are part of the Engineering Support Team located in Moscow. Meanwhile, 30 people were monitoring all ATV's critical functions at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse where cheers and applause marked the end of the fuel transfer.
http://www.esa.int/images/Remplissage_Ergol_ATV_019_L.jpg
Refuelling capabilities
The refuelling capabilities of ATV and the Russian Progress capsules are identical with a maximum fuel load of 850 kg. Even if ATV has about three times the payload capability of the Progress, they use exactly the same tanks and the same interface through the ATV docking mechanism with the Station. The Russian ISS service module is the only Station element to have a propulsion system which allows to reboost the whole Station in order to overcome the effects of residual atmospheric drag.
“We have now successfully performed all the nominal operations of Jules Verne, such as the ISS attitude control, the ISS reboost, the gas transfer of air, the water transfer, the dry cargo and now the refuelling. Only undocking and re-entry remain, which we hope to do in September,” said Hervé Côme, ESA's ATV Mission Director at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France.
http://www.esa.int/images/2008-04-03_164639.jpg
Purge
One day after the transfer, on 18 June, the ATV teams in Moscow purged all the fuel lines which were used for the transfer between ATV and the Station. This eliminates the risk of toxic contamination from about 13 kg of fuel which could leak when Jules Verne ATV undocks from the International Space Station in September. Jules Verne ATV was launched from Kourou in French Guiana on 9 March 2008 and docked to the ISS on 3 April 2008.
“Today, Europe has gained a new space capability which represents a new step towards human spaceflights and advanced exploration programmes”, said Jean-François Clervoy, ATV senior advisor and a member of ESA's Astronaut Corps. “ATV is the only western vehicle able to refuel another spacecraft in complement to the Russian Progress. The successful automation of this function frees significant crew time for other ISS operations.”
http://www.esa.int/esa-cgi/staf_0.pl?artid=esaCP/SEMEJGRHKHF_index_0.html&lang=en
Record boost for ATV to raise ISS orbit
20 June 2008
For the second time since April, ESA's Jules Verne ATV was used to raise the orbit of the International Space Station yesterday. A record boost from the 20 minute burn of the Automated Transfer Vehicle's main engines successfully lifted the altitude of the 300-tonne Station by around 7 km to an altitude of around 345 km above the Earth's surface.
The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) was prepared for reboost operations by ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, France. The manoeuvre started at 08:42 CEST (06:42 GMT) yesterday morning and provided a 4.05 m/s thrust lasting 20 minutes using two of the ATV's four main engines with an outstanding precision of 1%. While the automatic order was initiated by Moscow Control Centre, two dozen controllers from ESA, CNES and Astrium at ATV-CC closely monitored ATV's subsystems throughout the crucial manoeuvre.
"Today, Jules Verne ATV has again successfully demonstrated that it is able to perform this vital function on regular basis. Only Progress and ATV can provide this powerful reboost. We should have at least one more reboost in July and two in August," said Hervé Côme, ESA's ATV Mission Director at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France.
Regular reboosts are needed to overcome the effects of residual atmospheric drag which makes the Station lose about 100 m in altitude per day.
http://www.esa.int/images/s124e010045.jpg
This second main reboost manoeuvre comes after the first one performed on 25 April, which was less powerful with 2.6 m/s of thrust. Today’s reboost has consumed about 400 kg of propellant on board Jules Verne. During the reboost the three ISS crewmembers were busy with their daily activities and could not feel the very gentle acceleration given by the ATV.
Jules Verne ATV is scheduled to remain docked to the International Space Station until September. At the end of its mission, Jules Verne, loaded with up to 6.5 tonnes of material no longer required by the ISS, will undock and then burn up completely during a guided and controlled re-entry high over the Pacific Ocean.
http://www.esa.int/esa-cgi/staf_0.pl?artid=esaCP/SEMALNRHKHF_index_0.html&lang=en
Appena la Phoenix ha pronto il panorama a 360° in alta risoluzione te lo posto, così facciamo a gara :asd:
Appena la Phoenix ha pronto il panorama a 360° in alta risoluzione te lo posto, così facciamo a gara :asd:
hehehe :D
cercando di tornare seri..
cosa c'e' di attraccato in questo momento all'ISS?
dalla foto vedo ATV, Soyuz e anche il Progress? :wtf:
una bella compagnia!
razziadacqua
23-06-2008, 21:58
hehehe :D
cercando di tornare seri..
cosa c'e' di attraccato in questo momento all'ISS?
dalla foto vedo ATV, Soyuz e anche il Progress? :wtf:
una bella compagnia!
E' la cosa più bella che abbia mai visto... :cry:
E' fantastico vedere un'assemblaggio, una creazione del genere...
Jules Verne cargo ship departs the space station
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: September 5, 2008
Europe's first state-of-the-art Automated Transfer Vehicle departed the international space station Friday after a five-month stay that delivered more than 10,000 pounds of cargo to the complex.
Undocking was at 2129 GMT (5:29 p.m. EDT), ending a 155-day mission attached to the aft docking port of the station's Zvezda service module, European Space Agency officials said.
The supply ship launched March 9 and spent more than three weeks being readied to approach the station. Docking occurred April 3.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0809/05atvundock/index2.html
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM1TTO4KKF_index_0.html
http://www.esa.int/images/3RU0153insideATV_large,0.JPG http://www.esa.int/images/2008-04-03_164639.jpg
era bello spazioso comunque!
Jules Verne il primo ATV termina la sua missione rientrando nell'atmosfera
Successful re-entry marks bright future for ATV
29 September 2008
ESA PR 41-2008. Europe’s first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Jules Verne successfully completed its six-month ISS logistics mission today with its controlled destructive re-entry over a completely uninhabited area of the South Pacific.
http://www.esa.int/images/iss017e015496_L.jpg (http://www.esa.int/images/iss017e015496_H.jpg)
(fai click sull'immagine per l'alta risuluzione)
Following a final deorbit burn at 14:58 CEST which slowed its velocity by 70 m/s, the ATV entered the upper atmosphere at an altitude of 120 km at 15:31 CEST. It broke up at an altitude of 75 km with the remaining fragments falling into the Pacific some 12 minutes later.
The ATV has proved what a key ISS logistics vehicle it is. Following its 9 March launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the ATV delivered 6 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station, to which it remained docked for five months. This included ISS reboost and refuelling propellants, water, oxygen and 1.3 tonnes of dry cargo including food, clothing, spares and other items. During its mission, the ATV displayed the full range of its capabilities, including automatic rendezvous & docking, four ISS reboosts to a higher orbital altitude to offset atmospheric drag, ISS attitude control, performing a collision-avoidance manoeuvre when fragments of an old satellite came within the Station’s vicinity, and on its final journey offloading 2½ tonnes of waste.
“This mission is a fantastic accomplishment which caps a great year of human spaceflight for the European Space Agency”, said Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight. “Together with the Columbus laboratory, the ATV has really shown how far European capabilities have developed in building, launching and controlling space infrastructure. Europe has now taken a further step towards its capability of being able to transport and return cargo and astronauts to and from space and helping to define the global picture for human spaceflight from the ISS to future exploration activities.”
Following its undocking on 5 September, the ATV had spent 23 days carrying out “rephasing” manoeuvres to bring it to the correct position behind and underneath the ISS. This predefined position allowed the re-entry to be viewed and recorded from the Station itself, as well as from two specially-equipped observation planes located in the vicinity of the ATV’s flight path in the skies above the South Pacific. This observation campaign will serve to determine whether the vehicle’s break-up matched the computer modelling.
“Credit has to go to everyone involved in such a flawless mission.” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. “Not only to the ESA and industrial teams that brought the project to fruition, but also to the teams at the ATV Control Centre and around the world who have done a superb job while the spacecraft has been in orbit. This is truly a wonderful spacecraft, and vital to the continued service of the ISS following Shuttle retirement in 2010. I look forward to the launch of the next ATV, which is currently under production at EADS Astrium in Bremen, Germany.”
http://www.esa.int/images/FSC_1660_ATV_KittingCalStateUEastBay800mmS.jpg
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV08_0103_best.jpg
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV-Reentry-01,0.jpg
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV-Reentry-02.jpg
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV-Reentry-03.jpg
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV-Reentry-04.jpg
http://www.esa.int/images/ATV-Reentry-05.jpg
http://www.esa.int/esa-cgi/staf_0.pl?artid=esaCP/SEME556EJLF_index_0.html&lang=en
http://www.esa.int/esa-cgi/staf_0.pl?artid=esaCP/SEMSB76EJLF_index_0.html&lang=en
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0809/29atvreentry/
Si sa nulla sullo stato di avanzamento del secondo ATV Johannes Kepler?
Il lancio è previsto per Novembre 2010 (mi sono forse perso il thread?)
intanto qualche info su ATV e progetti futuri:
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/ATV/Fact_ATV_cropmarks_EN.pdf
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMKCY4DHNF_iss_0.html
E' Arrivato in Guiana Francese il prossimo ATV "Johannes Kepler"
The Spaceport welcomes Europe's no. 2 Automated Transfer Vehicle for launch on Ariane 5
June 18, 2010
http://www.arianespace.com/images/feature-stories/2010/feature_6-18-2010-lg.jpg
The ATV’s Integrated Cargo Carrier section is shown in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility.
Europe’s next Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is being readied for pre-launch checkout at the Spaceport in preparation for its liftoff on an upcoming Ariane 5 mission.
This Automated Transfer Vehicle, which is named after German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler, will be the second such large spacecraft orbited by Arianespace for servicing of the International Space Station – following the Jules Verne ATV launched by an Ariane 5 in March 2008.
The ATV is designed to deliver food, air and water for the International Space Station’s crew, along with experiment equipment and spare parts, as well as other hardware. It also is used to raise the station’s orbit when necessary, and removes waste when undocked from the facility at the completion of its mission.
As the most sophisticated spacecraft ever built in Europe, the ATV will become the largest vehicle supplying the International Space Station once America’s Space Shuttle fleet is retired.
The ATV is composed of two major spacecraft elements: the Integrated Cargo Carrier and Propulsion Module. When assembled, the resupply vessel is more than 10 meters tall.
Dal sito ufficiale di Arianespace
http://www.arianespace.com/news-feature-story/2010/06-18-10-atv2.asp
Lanciato il secondo ATV, Johannes Kepler. E' anche la 200a missione della famiglia Ariane!
Missione: ESA ATV-2
Lanciatore: Arianespace Arian 5 ES-ATV
Sito: Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou (Guyane)
Pad: ELA-3
Data e ora: 16 febbraio 2011, 21:51 GMT (22:51 ora italiana)
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v200/status.html
SFN:
Europe dispatches Johannes Kepler to space station
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: February 17, 2011
A European robotic resupply spacecraft soared into orbit on an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday, successfully beginning an eight-day chase of the International Space Station with fresh experiments, crew provisions, oxygen and propellant.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v200/110217launch/launch.jpg
The Automated Transfer Vehicle lifted off atop an Ariane 5 rocket at 2151 GMT (4:51 p.m. EST) from the French-run Guiana Space Center in South America. Dodging nearby rainshowers and thunderstorms, the 16-story launcher quickly vaulted into a cloudy sky just after sunset.
The launch was a day later than planned because an erroneous measurement in the Ariane 5's liquid oxygen propellant system triggered an automatic hold in the countdown Tuesday.
No significant glitches occurred in Wednesday's countdown, and the rocket's Vulcain 2 main engine ignited at 2150:55 GMT (4:50:55 p.m. EST), ramping up to nearly 300,000 pounds of thrust. Seven seconds later, after a computer-run health check of the launcher, the Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters ignited with an explosive thud to push the vehicle into the sky and northeast from the South America coastline.
The Ariane 5 rocket deployed the ATV payload in space 64 minutes later over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The rocket released the 44,000-pound spacecraft, the heaviest payload ever launched by Ariane, right on the mark in a nearly perfect circular orbit 160 miles above Earth.
"This exceptional launch was the 200th for Ariane, and therefore marks a particularly important step for European space," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman and CEO of Arianespace, the commercial operator of the Ariane rocket family.
Astronauts on the International Space Station took advantage of some fortuitous orbital mechanics to snap pictures of the Ariane 5 rocket ascending from the jungles of French Guiana. Italian flight engineer Paolo Nespoli sent back two photos from the lab's cupola module.
"We usually see an Ariane launch from the ground, but this time we have pictures from yet another perspective, in space," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's director general.
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ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli took this picture of the Ariane 5 launch from the space station. Credit: NASA/ESA
Christened Johannes Kepler after the famous German astronomer and mathematician, the 33-foot-long spacecraft deployed its four solar array wings about 25 minutes later. Arranged in an X-shaped pattern, the solar panels stretch 73 feet across and began charging the ship's batteries as planned, according to the European Space Agency.
The cylindrical spaceship also activated its GPS satellite navigation system and deployed a communications antenna to exchange data with the space station during docking, according to Nico Dettman, ESA's ATV program manager.
It is the second flight of Europe's ATV system, which was started in 1995 to help pay for ESA's share of the space station's operating costs. The agency spent about $2 billion developing the high-tech spacecraft, and each mission costs about $600 million.
ESA plans up to seven ATV missions through about 2017. The first ATV flight, nicknamed Jules Verne, successfully demonstrated the craft's design in 2008. The next European resupply freighter is due to launch in February 2012.
"ATV Johannes Kepler is inaugurating our regular service line to the ISS," said Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA's director for human spaceflight.
The automated cargo craft has a series of orbit-raising and rendezvous engine burns planned over the next week, leading to a docking with the space station's Zvezda module Feb. 24 at about 1046 GMT (10:46 a.m. EST).
The space station docking is scheduled just hours before the launch of space shuttle Discovery, which is targeting blastoff for 2150 GMT (4:50 p.m. EST) the same day.
Despite initial reports the ATV's launch delay this week would postpone Discovery's flight by a day, a NASA spokesperson Wednesday said the shuttle could still lift off Feb. 24. NASA managers will make a formal decision on Discovery's launch date Friday in a flight readiness review.
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The station station is in the middle of a jam-packed manifest of visiting servicing and assembly missions.
A Russian Progress unmanned resupply craft launched to the outpost last month and another Progress is slated to leave this weekend. Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle, similar in size to the ATV, arrived at the station Jan. 27, and the shuttle Discovery will bring an Italian stowage module to the lab next week.
"This launch takes place in a crowded and changing manifest for the ISS access, with HTV, Progress, ATV and the shuttle coming and going," Dordain said.
The ATV will be the biggest space station resupply craft after the shuttle's retirement, placing it in a crucial role to keep the lab operating. It has the ability to feed rocket propellant, water and oxygen into the space station, plus haul dry cargo such as experiments and provisions for the outpost's residents.
Once the space shuttle is retired later this year, the station will rely on a mixed fleet of logistics vehicles for cargo needs. NASA is partnering with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. to develop commercial resupply capsules expected to be operational by early 2012.
The Johannes Kepler mission carries about 3,500 pounds of dry cargo in its pressurized cabin to be manually unloaded by the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station. About 1,875 pounds of maneuvering propellant and 220 pounds of breathing oxygen will be transferred through plumbing from the ATV to the Russian segment of the complex.
Another 14,475 pounds of rocket fuel inside the spacecraft will guide the ATV to the space station and boost the lab's orbit by up to 25 miles this spring.
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