Monthly Archives: July 2012

The juicy insides of ATV-4

ATV-4, Albert Einstein, is under construction at the Astrium facility in Bremen, German, and is schedule to be shipped to Kourou, French Guiana, in mid-August for the 15-day voyage across the Atlantic.

Earlier this week a team of ESA engineers and trainers were in Bremen to review progress; thanks to ESA's L. Ferra for some great, 'on the scene' photos from deep inside ATV-4.

ATV-4 under construction in Bremen credit: L. Ferra

ATV-4 under construction in Bremen credit: L. Ferra

 

ATV-4 under construction in Bremen credit: L. Ferra

ATV-4 under construction in Bremen credit: L. Ferra

 

ATV-4 under construction in Bremen credit: L. Ferra

ATV-4 under construction in Bremen credit: L. Ferra

ATV-3 reboosts ISS: view from ‘on console’ at ATV-CC

ATV-3 conducted its 6th ISS reboost manoeuvre early this morning, and ESA Mission Director Adam Williams oversaw the activity at ATV-CC, Toulouse. He's sent in a detailed timeline of how it went -- giving a rare, 'on console' look behind the scenes of ATV operations.

ATV fires its thrusters to reboost ISS to higher orbit

Adam wrote:

With high solar activity, there is an increased risk of highly charged particles affecting ATV, at worst causing a reset of the Fault Tolerant Computer. If this occurred during the reboost it would terminate the boost before it was fully completed.

However, the Houston space weather forecast was more positive [than that of CNES, nominally responsible for space weather monitoring for ATV - Ed.], and the trilateral [i.e. Houston, Moscow, Toulouse - Ed.] conclusion was that the reboost could continue. Moscow and Houston both agreed it was better to attempt a reboost, and deal with the consequences of any underboost if and when it happened.

Wednesday, 18 July 2012 - All times Toulouse local - CEST

02:00 - All teams are on console preparing ATV for the reboost. Everything is calm.

03:40 - Successful transition of ATV to 'ISS Attitude Control' mode.

05:15 - Successful transition of ATV to 'ISS Reboost' mode.

05:16 - Start of reboost...

05:35 - Successful end of reboost and transition back to 'ISS Attitude Control' mode. Delta-V (change in velocity) achieved was around 2.8 m/s, which raised the ISS approximately 5 km.

06:15 - ATV back in 'Dormant' mode. Time for an early breakfast!

Staying clean in space

You're wondering, perhaps, how the grid gets cleaned? The astronauts have a sort of vacuum cleaner powered from the Russian Service Module via a long cable! (Last used by cosmonaut Gennady Padalka last week...)

Before

After

ATV Orbital Photo Contest

Snap a photo of ATV in free-flight orbit

Update 8 Oct: See all (fabulous!) entries here

This September, ATV Edoardo Amaldi is scheduled to undock from the ISS and make several orbits of Earth on its own before being commanded to a destructive reentry over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean.

ATV-3 seen from ground 25 March 2012 04:56UT Copyright/Credit: Ralf Vandebergh

ATV-3 seen from ground 25 March 2012 04:56UT Copyright/Credit: Ralf Vandebergh

ESA's ATV project team invite you to send us your photos of ATV-3 in space!

We'll publish them, with full credit, right here in the ATV blog – and the top three photographers will receive some super-cool ATV prizes!

To take part, simply submit a previously unpublished photo of ATV-3 in free-flight orbit (not attached to the ISS).

Follow the ATV blog for the confirmed undocking date (to be posted later). We'll also post details on the ISS orbit and undocking coordinates.

Multiple entries are OK, but only the most recent entry will be judged; the contest closes 24:00 CEST, 2 October 2012; the winner will be announced by 12 October.

For details, click on 'Continue reading' below.

(more...)

ATV mission update

On 6 April 2012, European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers, Expedition 30 flight engineer, configures the Gas Control Panel (GCP) in the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3) currently docked with the International Space Station. Credit: ESA/NASA

On 6 April 2012, European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers, Expedition 30 flight engineer, configures the Gas Control Panel (GCP) in the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3) currently docked with the International Space Station. Credit: ESA/NASA

Quick comment on a mission update sent last week by the ATV operations team in Toulouse: the ESA and CNES engineers are already involved in developing & testing the ground segment for ATV-4!

Albert Einstein is planned for an Ariane launch in early 2013, and the Toulouse team will conduct a crucial 'SVT' -- system validation test -- this week on 19 July.

The test will see live telemetry and telecommands being sent to/from ATV-4 (sitting at an Astrium facility in Bremen, Germany) via NASA's TDRS data relay satellites and ESA's Artemis relay mission.

Needless to say, it's a challenge to keep these test signals separate from the real, live telecommands that must be sent during the same time frame to ATV-3 in orbit with the ISS! (We'll get an update later in the week on SVT progress...)

ATV-3 status as of 13 July; courtesy ATV-CC

CARGO and FUEL STATUS

  • Cargo status : 100% transferred
  • Accepted trash : 592 kg so far
  • Air status : 100% transferred, tank empty
  • Oxygen status : no transfer so far
  • Water : 280 litres, transfer completed
  • Fuel : 100% transferred, ATV tanks empty
  • Propellant status : around 2140 kg used, around 1917 kg available for ISS reboost & attitude control

Upcoming operations (dates, as always, subject to change):

17 July: Soyuz 31S docking, ISS attitude change (no ATV propulsion support)
17 July: **Reboost manoeuvre No. 6 -- alternate slot on 19 July
19 July: ATV-4 System Validation Test 1 (SVT1) -- alternate slot on 20 July

Note**: Reboost No. 6 is set for the night from 17 to 18 July; start set for 03:16 UT

More ATV training with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano continues his ATV training working on the air conditioning today.

He sent this picture via twitter: @astro_luca

Luca Parmitano training on ATV