Andrew Yee[_1_]
January 16th 08, 07:18 PM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
14 January 2008
Russian fuel flows in Jules Verne's veins
Fuelling of the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle has started at
Europe's Spaceport. ATV is being loaded with Russian refuelling propellant
destined for the International Space Station. After a month of fuelling
operations, the launch and maiden voyage of the first European resupply
spaceship is scheduled for the second half of February.
Early this month, the 20-tonne Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
was transferred to the huge fuelling chamber within the giant S5 integration
building at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Inside the fuelling chamber, the spacecraft was prepared for loading
operations, which began as scheduled on 8 January and will continue until
early February.
In cooperation with ESA's ATV project experts and Russian engineers on site,
a dozen specialised technicians from Astrium sites in Bremen, Lampoldshausen
(Germany), Stevenage (United Kingdom) and Les Mureaux (France) are in charge
of these time-consuming and delicate operations.
"We are pleased with how well the schedule is progressing so far. This week,
as planned, two identical tanks on the ATV were successfully loaded with 296
kg of Russian UDMH (Unsymmetrical dimehtylhydrazine) which is the propellant
fuel to be delivered to the International Space Station's (ISS)
Russian-built propulsion tanks", said Dominique Siruguet, ESA ATV Campaign
Manager.
Protective suits
As a precaution against the toxic and explosive characteristics of the
hydrazine, a series of strict measures are in place, such as the requirement
for the 'scapemen' -- the fuelling specialists -- to wear special suits
during fuelling operations. There are three teams of three 'scapemen'.
Because it is exhausting work wearing a pressurised suit in a high-risk
environment, their task is limited to periods of four hour operations.
Next week, the nitrogen tetroxide oxidiser (N2O4) (which provides a source
of oxygen so the fuel can ignite and burn in orbit), will also be stored on
board the ATV to be delivered in orbit to the ISS. When Jules Verne is
attached to the Station, both Russian produced UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide
will be transferred through dedicated pipes which pass through the docking
mechanism to the Space Station's own plumbing.
Fuel for ATV
On 20 January, 20 kg of pressurised gaseous oxygen will be loaded into Jules
Verne. Through to the end of the month, the largest quantity of propellant
will be fuelled on board: around 2216 kg of MMH (Monomethylhydrazine) and
MON3 (Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen) propellant which will be used by the ATV's
own propulsion system. It will be used for the ATV's autonomous navigation
towards the ISS and, once docked, to control the attitude and orbit,
including re-boost of the whole space complex. In free flight the ATV
navigates as a fully automated spaceship, with four main engines (490 N
thrust) plus 28 smaller thrusters (220 N) for attitude control.
Four propellants
"The month-long fuelling campaign is a result of having to load four
different propellants, some in large quantities, and also some oxygen. Since
each propellant is complex and dangerous to handle, the preparatory
operations -- the safety rules and the decontamination -- takes much more
time than the actual pressurised transfer of each product into the vehicle,"
underlines Nicolas Chamussy, Astrium ATV Programme Manager based at Astrium
facilities in Les Mureaux (France) and in Bremen (Germany). Quantitatively
the ATV propellant load is at least three times that of the largest
commercial satellites.
By the time ATV is moved to the BAF (Batiment d'Assemblage Final) in the
first week of February, where it will be mated to Ariane 5 launcher, the ATV
will hold four different types of propellant and 20 kg of oxygen, giving a
total propellant mass of about 6.5 tonnes.
The whole Jules Verne ATV is 19.4 tonnes, including approximately 1300 kg of
'dry cargo'. During fuelling operations, the ATV is electrically completely
shut down for safety reasons, but each day the whole spacecraft is activated
to check the spacecraft's 'health', and charge the batteries once again.
Launch vehicle
The go-ahead for the start of Jules Verne fuelling operations also prompted
the Astrium teams in Kourou to initiate the active preparation and
integration of the Ariane 5. ATV will be carried into orbit by a special
version of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle called the Ariane 5 Evolution
Storable upper stage Automated Transfer Vehicle, or A5 ES-ATV for short. The
mating of the two large vehicles is scheduled for early February.
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM4LI3MDAF_index_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
14 January 2008
Russian fuel flows in Jules Verne's veins
Fuelling of the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle has started at
Europe's Spaceport. ATV is being loaded with Russian refuelling propellant
destined for the International Space Station. After a month of fuelling
operations, the launch and maiden voyage of the first European resupply
spaceship is scheduled for the second half of February.
Early this month, the 20-tonne Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
was transferred to the huge fuelling chamber within the giant S5 integration
building at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Inside the fuelling chamber, the spacecraft was prepared for loading
operations, which began as scheduled on 8 January and will continue until
early February.
In cooperation with ESA's ATV project experts and Russian engineers on site,
a dozen specialised technicians from Astrium sites in Bremen, Lampoldshausen
(Germany), Stevenage (United Kingdom) and Les Mureaux (France) are in charge
of these time-consuming and delicate operations.
"We are pleased with how well the schedule is progressing so far. This week,
as planned, two identical tanks on the ATV were successfully loaded with 296
kg of Russian UDMH (Unsymmetrical dimehtylhydrazine) which is the propellant
fuel to be delivered to the International Space Station's (ISS)
Russian-built propulsion tanks", said Dominique Siruguet, ESA ATV Campaign
Manager.
Protective suits
As a precaution against the toxic and explosive characteristics of the
hydrazine, a series of strict measures are in place, such as the requirement
for the 'scapemen' -- the fuelling specialists -- to wear special suits
during fuelling operations. There are three teams of three 'scapemen'.
Because it is exhausting work wearing a pressurised suit in a high-risk
environment, their task is limited to periods of four hour operations.
Next week, the nitrogen tetroxide oxidiser (N2O4) (which provides a source
of oxygen so the fuel can ignite and burn in orbit), will also be stored on
board the ATV to be delivered in orbit to the ISS. When Jules Verne is
attached to the Station, both Russian produced UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide
will be transferred through dedicated pipes which pass through the docking
mechanism to the Space Station's own plumbing.
Fuel for ATV
On 20 January, 20 kg of pressurised gaseous oxygen will be loaded into Jules
Verne. Through to the end of the month, the largest quantity of propellant
will be fuelled on board: around 2216 kg of MMH (Monomethylhydrazine) and
MON3 (Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen) propellant which will be used by the ATV's
own propulsion system. It will be used for the ATV's autonomous navigation
towards the ISS and, once docked, to control the attitude and orbit,
including re-boost of the whole space complex. In free flight the ATV
navigates as a fully automated spaceship, with four main engines (490 N
thrust) plus 28 smaller thrusters (220 N) for attitude control.
Four propellants
"The month-long fuelling campaign is a result of having to load four
different propellants, some in large quantities, and also some oxygen. Since
each propellant is complex and dangerous to handle, the preparatory
operations -- the safety rules and the decontamination -- takes much more
time than the actual pressurised transfer of each product into the vehicle,"
underlines Nicolas Chamussy, Astrium ATV Programme Manager based at Astrium
facilities in Les Mureaux (France) and in Bremen (Germany). Quantitatively
the ATV propellant load is at least three times that of the largest
commercial satellites.
By the time ATV is moved to the BAF (Batiment d'Assemblage Final) in the
first week of February, where it will be mated to Ariane 5 launcher, the ATV
will hold four different types of propellant and 20 kg of oxygen, giving a
total propellant mass of about 6.5 tonnes.
The whole Jules Verne ATV is 19.4 tonnes, including approximately 1300 kg of
'dry cargo'. During fuelling operations, the ATV is electrically completely
shut down for safety reasons, but each day the whole spacecraft is activated
to check the spacecraft's 'health', and charge the batteries once again.
Launch vehicle
The go-ahead for the start of Jules Verne fuelling operations also prompted
the Astrium teams in Kourou to initiate the active preparation and
integration of the Ariane 5. ATV will be carried into orbit by a special
version of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle called the Ariane 5 Evolution
Storable upper stage Automated Transfer Vehicle, or A5 ES-ATV for short. The
mating of the two large vehicles is scheduled for early February.
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM4LI3MDAF_index_1.html ]