Andrew Yee[_1_]
April 4th 08, 03:11 AM
European Space Agency
Press Release No. 20-2008
Paris, France 3 April 2008
Europe's automated ship docks to the ISS
ATV Jules Verne, the European Space Agency's first resupply and reboost
vehicle, has successfully performed a fully automated docking with the
International Space Station (ISS). This docking marks the beginning of Jules
Verne's main servicing mission to deliver cargo, propellant, water, oxygen
and propulsion capacity to the Station, as well as ESA's entry into the
restricted club of the partners able to access the orbital facility by their
own means.
The 19-ton unmanned spaceship manoeuvred from a holding position 39 km
behind the 275-ton space outpost and conducted a 4-hour staged approach with
several stops at reference points for checks. It autonomously computed its
own position through relative GPS (comparison between data collected by GPS
receivers both on the ATV and the ISS) and in close range it used
videometers pointed at laser retroreflectors on the ISS to determine its
distance and orientation relative to its target. Final approach was at a
relative velocity of 7 cm/s and with an accuracy of less than 10 cm, while
both the ATV and the ISS were orbiting at about 28000 km/h, some 340 km
above the Eastern Mediterranean. ATV Jules Verne's docking probe was
captured by the docking cone at the aft end of Russia's Zvezda module at
16:45 CEST (14:45 GMT). Docking was completed with hooks closing at 16:52
CEST (14:52 GMT).
First automated docking
This is the very first time in Europe that an automated docking is performed
in due respect of the very tight safety constraints imposed by manned
spaceflight operations. All the approach and docking phase was piloted by
the ATV's onboard computers under close monitoring by the teams of ESA, CNES
(the French Space agency) and Astrium (the prime contractor) at the ATV
Control Centre at CNES Toulouse, France, as well as the ISS crew inside the
Zvezda module. In case of anomaly, both ends could trigger pre-programmed
manoeuvres to hold position, retreat to the previous reference point or
escape to a safe distance.
The ATV's behaviour was also under surveillance from its own independent
Monitoring & Safing Unit (MSU), which uses a separate set of sensors and
computers to check that the approach manoeuvre is conducted safely. In case
of major anomaly, the MSU would have been able to take over the commands and
order a Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM) through dedicated avionics
chains and thrusters.
As all operations went smoothly, none of these safety manoeuvres was
required during this afternoon's approach and docking.
The ATV Jules Verne was launched by an Ariane 5 from Europe's spaceport in
Kourou, French Guiana, on 9 March. Three days later, it successfully
demonstrated its autonomous CAM capability and was cleared for ISS proximity
operations. The spaceship then moved to a parking orbit for the duration of
space shuttle Endeavour's visit to the ISS. On March 29 and 31 it conducted
two rehearsals of today's docking, approaching at 11 m from the Station.
New delivery service
Now that it is docked, the ATV Jules Verne will become an additional module
of the ISS for about four months. The astronauts will enter its pressurized
cargo module and retrieve 1,150 kg of dry cargo, including food, clothes and
equipment as well as two original manuscripts handwritten by Jules Verne and
a XIXth century illustrated edition of his novel "From the Earth to the
Moon". In addition, they will pump 856 kg of propellant, 270 kg of drinking
water and 21 kg of oxygen into Zvezda's tanks.
The ATV can carry about three times as much payload as Russia's Progress
freighters but on this mission, most of it is actually propellant to be used
by the ATV's own propulsion system for periodical manoeuvres to increase the
altitude of the ISS in order to compensate its natural decay caused by
atmospheric drag. If required, the ATV will also be able to provide
redundant attitude control to the ISS or even perform evasive manoeuvres to
move the Station out of the way of potentially dangerous space debris. The
first of ATV Jules Verne's reboost manoeuvres is currently scheduled on 21
April.
"The ATV is so much more than a simple delivery truck, it is an intelligent
and versatile spaceship which has just demonstrated its extraordinary
skills," said Daniel Sacotte, ESA's Director for Human Spaceflight,
Microgravity and Exploration. "It is the largest and most complex spacecraft
ever developed in Europe and the second in size of all the vehicle's
visiting the Station, after NASA's space shuttle. With Columbus and the ATV,
we have entered the major league of the ISS."
"The docking of the ATV is a new and spectacular step in the demonstration
of European capabilities on the international scene of space exploration,"
said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's Director General. "This fantastic step is
in first instance the result of collective work in Europe, including ESA
Member States, industry under Astrium as prime contractor, CNES and ESA
staff as well as among ISS partners, in particular the USA and Russia. We
shall now reap the benefits of such investments after the launch of ESA's
Columbus laboratory, first in utilizing the unique capabilities of the ISS
and secondly in preparing for the exploration of the Solar System. Now that
the ATV is 'up and running', I am happy to announce that in the next few
weeks ESA will launch a recruitment campaign to hire new European
astronauts."
For further information:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication and Knowledge Department
Tel: + 33 1 5369 7299
Fax: + 33 1 5369 7690
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMORO5QGEF_index_1.html ]
Press Release No. 20-2008
Paris, France 3 April 2008
Europe's automated ship docks to the ISS
ATV Jules Verne, the European Space Agency's first resupply and reboost
vehicle, has successfully performed a fully automated docking with the
International Space Station (ISS). This docking marks the beginning of Jules
Verne's main servicing mission to deliver cargo, propellant, water, oxygen
and propulsion capacity to the Station, as well as ESA's entry into the
restricted club of the partners able to access the orbital facility by their
own means.
The 19-ton unmanned spaceship manoeuvred from a holding position 39 km
behind the 275-ton space outpost and conducted a 4-hour staged approach with
several stops at reference points for checks. It autonomously computed its
own position through relative GPS (comparison between data collected by GPS
receivers both on the ATV and the ISS) and in close range it used
videometers pointed at laser retroreflectors on the ISS to determine its
distance and orientation relative to its target. Final approach was at a
relative velocity of 7 cm/s and with an accuracy of less than 10 cm, while
both the ATV and the ISS were orbiting at about 28000 km/h, some 340 km
above the Eastern Mediterranean. ATV Jules Verne's docking probe was
captured by the docking cone at the aft end of Russia's Zvezda module at
16:45 CEST (14:45 GMT). Docking was completed with hooks closing at 16:52
CEST (14:52 GMT).
First automated docking
This is the very first time in Europe that an automated docking is performed
in due respect of the very tight safety constraints imposed by manned
spaceflight operations. All the approach and docking phase was piloted by
the ATV's onboard computers under close monitoring by the teams of ESA, CNES
(the French Space agency) and Astrium (the prime contractor) at the ATV
Control Centre at CNES Toulouse, France, as well as the ISS crew inside the
Zvezda module. In case of anomaly, both ends could trigger pre-programmed
manoeuvres to hold position, retreat to the previous reference point or
escape to a safe distance.
The ATV's behaviour was also under surveillance from its own independent
Monitoring & Safing Unit (MSU), which uses a separate set of sensors and
computers to check that the approach manoeuvre is conducted safely. In case
of major anomaly, the MSU would have been able to take over the commands and
order a Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM) through dedicated avionics
chains and thrusters.
As all operations went smoothly, none of these safety manoeuvres was
required during this afternoon's approach and docking.
The ATV Jules Verne was launched by an Ariane 5 from Europe's spaceport in
Kourou, French Guiana, on 9 March. Three days later, it successfully
demonstrated its autonomous CAM capability and was cleared for ISS proximity
operations. The spaceship then moved to a parking orbit for the duration of
space shuttle Endeavour's visit to the ISS. On March 29 and 31 it conducted
two rehearsals of today's docking, approaching at 11 m from the Station.
New delivery service
Now that it is docked, the ATV Jules Verne will become an additional module
of the ISS for about four months. The astronauts will enter its pressurized
cargo module and retrieve 1,150 kg of dry cargo, including food, clothes and
equipment as well as two original manuscripts handwritten by Jules Verne and
a XIXth century illustrated edition of his novel "From the Earth to the
Moon". In addition, they will pump 856 kg of propellant, 270 kg of drinking
water and 21 kg of oxygen into Zvezda's tanks.
The ATV can carry about three times as much payload as Russia's Progress
freighters but on this mission, most of it is actually propellant to be used
by the ATV's own propulsion system for periodical manoeuvres to increase the
altitude of the ISS in order to compensate its natural decay caused by
atmospheric drag. If required, the ATV will also be able to provide
redundant attitude control to the ISS or even perform evasive manoeuvres to
move the Station out of the way of potentially dangerous space debris. The
first of ATV Jules Verne's reboost manoeuvres is currently scheduled on 21
April.
"The ATV is so much more than a simple delivery truck, it is an intelligent
and versatile spaceship which has just demonstrated its extraordinary
skills," said Daniel Sacotte, ESA's Director for Human Spaceflight,
Microgravity and Exploration. "It is the largest and most complex spacecraft
ever developed in Europe and the second in size of all the vehicle's
visiting the Station, after NASA's space shuttle. With Columbus and the ATV,
we have entered the major league of the ISS."
"The docking of the ATV is a new and spectacular step in the demonstration
of European capabilities on the international scene of space exploration,"
said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's Director General. "This fantastic step is
in first instance the result of collective work in Europe, including ESA
Member States, industry under Astrium as prime contractor, CNES and ESA
staff as well as among ISS partners, in particular the USA and Russia. We
shall now reap the benefits of such investments after the launch of ESA's
Columbus laboratory, first in utilizing the unique capabilities of the ISS
and secondly in preparing for the exploration of the Solar System. Now that
the ATV is 'up and running', I am happy to announce that in the next few
weeks ESA will launch a recruitment campaign to hire new European
astronauts."
For further information:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication and Knowledge Department
Tel: + 33 1 5369 7299
Fax: + 33 1 5369 7690
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMORO5QGEF_index_1.html ]