22-03-2008 Jules Verne ATV (Article 129)

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Simon Kenny
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22-03-2008 Jules Verne ATV (Article 129)

Post by Simon Kenny » Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:32 pm

Jules Verne ATV (Article 129)

In 1998, the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) began. Large sections were assembled on Earth and brought into orbit by the space shuttle, it was intended that the shuttle would be the primary work horse for transporting supplies to and from the ISS but given the destruction of the shuttle Columbia in 2003, the days of the space shuttle became numbered and are now used when there is no alternative vehicle for the task in hand. The requirements for an automated cargo ship to supply the ISS became very apparent.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has now complemented the Russian Progress supply ships by developing the 20 ton Jules Verne ATV (automated transfer vehicle).
It was launched from French Guiana on March 9th and currently lies in Earth orbit. It is the most complex spacecraft ever launched by ESA and the first ever automated cargo ship. ESA are taking a very cautious approach with this vehicle, it will orbit the Earth for nearly 4 weeks before its scheduled docking with the ISS as this allows ground control to safely test manoeuvring. It also gives the space shuttle Endeavour time to depart from the ISS as it is docked there at present.

On March 29th, the Jules Verne will approach the ISS, on March 30th the crew on the ISS will start the docking procedure and then abort it at a distance of 12 meters because docking such a big unmanned craft has never been done before and damage to the ISS is unthinkable. It should successfully dock on April 3rd. The systems aboard the Jules Verne use GPS, star tracking and a form of radar for docking, the ISS crew can abort the docking procedure up until the craft is 1 meter away if necessary.

The Jules Verne will remain docked for over 4 months, while there the crew will be able to enter its pressurised cargo bay where they will replace the cargo within with waste items. The cargo consists of food, water, atmospheric supplies and parts for the stations systems, it will however never carry people up to the station and the rocket engine on the Jules Verne will also be used to boost the orbit of the ISS.
When the craft has come to the end of its usefulness, it will be jettisoned from the ISS and sent into Earth orbit where it will burn up in the atmosphere over the Southern Pacific in a controlled manner.

That will be the end for this craft but it’s the start of a series of 5 ATV craft that will be launched between now and 2015. With the planned retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2010, it is very important to have 2 completely independent servicing systems for the ISS. The Japanese HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) will also soon join the scene.
Over the coming weeks, check out www.heavens-above.com and check for ISS/shuttle/ATV passes in the sky, under favourable conditions you might be able to see these objects moving across the sky as moving star like points.

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