Andrew Yee[_1_]
March 8th 08, 01:20 AM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
5 March 2008
Jules Verne ATV declared ready for launch
The successful Launch Readiness Review (LRR) for the inaugural launch of the
Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle-V162 was today held at Europe's
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
In the presence of John Ellwood, ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
Project Manager, with the participation of around 60 people from ESA,
Arianespace, CNES, Astrium, RSC-Energia and NASA, the European space supply
vessel for the International Space Station, was declared ready for launch on
9 March at 05:03 CET (04:03 UTC).
"We are very pleased to smoothly pass this milestone four days before launch
as scheduled, now we really feel to be ready, and our Russian and NASA
partners have expressed the same confidence," said Ellwood.
The ATV is considered the most sophisticated spacecraft developed in Europe
and represents 11 years of development.
The Launch Readiness Review is organised by ESA to provide a final
pre-launch assessment of the readiness status of the spacecraft and the ATV
Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse. The review certifies that the
spacecraft, integrated to the launcher, is ready to proceed into final
countdown.
From NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Mike Suffredini, NASA
International Space Station Programme Manager and seven of his staff,
participated in the 3-hour meeting in Kourou by teleconference, as did a
five-strong ATV-CC management team, from Toulouse.
The Russian ISS partners were represented by Nicolai Zelenschikov, First
Vice President of RSC-Energia, who is in Kourou specially for the Jules
Verne ATV launch. Rendezvous and docking of ATV with the ISS is scheduled
for 3 April.
On the launcher side, the Ariane 5 Launch Readiness Review (or RAL, Revue
d'Aptitude au Lancement) is scheduled for tomorrow, 6 March. This review
certifies that the launcher meets all the Ariane 5 technical requirements
and is ready for flight.
Roll-out of the 760-tonne launcher and Jules Verne ATV from the Final
Assembly Building at Europe's Spaceport to the launch pad is scheduled for
Friday 7 March.
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMELIK26DF_index_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
5 March 2008
Jules Verne ATV declared ready for launch
The successful Launch Readiness Review (LRR) for the inaugural launch of the
Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle-V162 was today held at Europe's
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
In the presence of John Ellwood, ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
Project Manager, with the participation of around 60 people from ESA,
Arianespace, CNES, Astrium, RSC-Energia and NASA, the European space supply
vessel for the International Space Station, was declared ready for launch on
9 March at 05:03 CET (04:03 UTC).
"We are very pleased to smoothly pass this milestone four days before launch
as scheduled, now we really feel to be ready, and our Russian and NASA
partners have expressed the same confidence," said Ellwood.
The ATV is considered the most sophisticated spacecraft developed in Europe
and represents 11 years of development.
The Launch Readiness Review is organised by ESA to provide a final
pre-launch assessment of the readiness status of the spacecraft and the ATV
Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse. The review certifies that the
spacecraft, integrated to the launcher, is ready to proceed into final
countdown.
From NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Mike Suffredini, NASA
International Space Station Programme Manager and seven of his staff,
participated in the 3-hour meeting in Kourou by teleconference, as did a
five-strong ATV-CC management team, from Toulouse.
The Russian ISS partners were represented by Nicolai Zelenschikov, First
Vice President of RSC-Energia, who is in Kourou specially for the Jules
Verne ATV launch. Rendezvous and docking of ATV with the ISS is scheduled
for 3 April.
On the launcher side, the Ariane 5 Launch Readiness Review (or RAL, Revue
d'Aptitude au Lancement) is scheduled for tomorrow, 6 March. This review
certifies that the launcher meets all the Ariane 5 technical requirements
and is ready for flight.
Roll-out of the 760-tonne launcher and Jules Verne ATV from the Final
Assembly Building at Europe's Spaceport to the launch pad is scheduled for
Friday 7 March.
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMELIK26DF_index_1.html ]