ATV: Jules Vernes ready to launch in second half of February

frédéric haessig wrote:

ATV spends a lot of time between launch and docking, for demonstration of
capability.

I had read it was going to be doing a lot of testing prior to actual
docking, but never realised it would spend more than 2 weeks of doing
acrobatics in space. I take it this flight isn't carrying any perisheables ?

I thought most of the testing would have been performed in the proximity
of the station.

If it launches the Feb22, do you know when it will get near the station ?


Between the time it launches and the time it gets near the station, does
this prevent shuttle flights ?

Is the Shuttle grounded while ATV is loitering in orbit away from
station ? Or could the shuttle still be at station when ATV launches,
only having to leave a day or two before ATV gets near the station ?

"John Doe" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
frédéric haessig wrote:

ATV spends a lot of time between launch and docking, for demonstration of
capability.

I had read it was going to be doing a lot of testing prior to actual
docking, but never realised it would spend more than 2 weeks of doing
acrobatics in space. I take it this flight isn't carrying any perisheables
?

Not as far as I know.

Actually ATV specifications require the capability for up to 8 weeks 'lonr
term loitering', either before docking or between a dedocking and a
redocking.


I thought most of the testing would have been performed in the proximity
of the station.

If it launches the Feb22, do you know when it will get near the station ?


IIRC, the first ATV nears the station is 'demo day one', which I last saw
planned on the 6th of March.



Between the time it launches and the time it gets near the station, does
this prevent shuttle flights ?

Most definitely not. During Phasing ATV is not in the same orbit, nor at the
same altitude as ISS.


Is the Shuttle grounded while ATV is loitering in orbit away from
station ? Or could the shuttle still be at station when ATV launches,
only having to leave a day or two before ATV gets near the station ?

The later, and that only because the effect of vibration possibly caused by
ATV docking on the other side of the ISS have not been studied.

In theory, there's nothing preventing ATV to dock while the shuttle is
docked, just as the shuttle can dock while ATV is docked.

However, for Jules Vernes, IIRC, STS-122 will be long gone when ATV is
launched, provided both schedule hold.

There's a problem, however, with STS-123. If its planned launch occurs at
13th of March and docking on 15th, it's quite possible that ATV docking will
be delayed until STS-123 dedock from ISS.

Again long term loitering.