Category Archives: Events

ATV-4 Mission Quiz: Question 1

While you're busy working on the ATV reboost homework questions posted by Rhett Allain (reminder: there are prizes!) – or if you're looking for, uhmmm, a somewhat less challenging challenge – here is Question 1 in this week's fabulous ATV-4 Mission Quiz (we'll post three questions this week). Thanks to the team at EAC and especially ATV training specialist Lionel Ferra for the inspiration!

View showing the gas & water delivery control panel mounted inside ATV and accessible to the crew.

View showing the gas & water delivery control panel mounted inside ATV and accessible to the crew.

First, the intro crescendo...

And here's Question 1:

Name the two European sources
of the two different types of H2O that
ATV transports to the ISS

Hint: Both sources may be near the same city...

Got answers? Post your best guess here in the blog or tweet via Twitter (use #missionquiz hashtag) before 12:00 CEST Tuesday, 16 April.

Details and rules after the jump.

(more...)

Pre-warp drive ‘Cargo Resupply Vessel ATV’

Yesterday, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield had an in-flight call with none other than William Shatner (also, not uncoincidentally, Canadian), aka Captain James Kirk, the famous starship commander of Star Trek.

The two had previously chatted via Twitter, with @WilliamShatner asking: "Are you tweeting from space?" @Cmdr_Hadfield replied: "@WilliamShatner: Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we're detecting signs of life on the surface."

Later, other Star Trek Twitterers, like George Takei (Hikaru Sulu series), Will Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) and Leonard Nimoy (Spock), joined the virtual chat. 

Hadfield kicked off yesterday's call by playing the famous 'Captain on the bridge' whistle from Star Trek, reporting that he was on board 'Science Research Vessel ISS'.

We guess that makes our favourite spaceship 'Cargo Resupply Vessel ATV'...?

Watch the replay below, in which Shatner asks some excellent questions on space exploration, the life of an astronaut and courage.

PS: After the call, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, now training for a mission to the ISS in 2014, tweeted:

Replay

Replay of today's ESA/NASA Orion media briefing webcast

REPLAY: Live webcast – ESA Service Module for NASA’s first Orion spacecraft mission in 2017

Replay - original webast 16 January 17:30 CET start

NASA and ESA will brief media at 17:30 CET on Wednesday, 16 January, on the details for ESA to provide the Service Module for the first Orion spacecraft mission in 2017.

Briefing participants include: William H. Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, Thomas Reiter, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations, Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program Manager, and Bernardo Patti, ESA Manager of International Space Station Operations.

Video streaming by Ustream

NASA, ESA hold 16 January NASA TV briefing on new Orion agreement

NASA and ESA will brief media at 17:30 CET on Wednesday, 16 January, on the details for ESA to provide a service module for the first Orion spacecraft mission in 2017. European media are invited to watch the event and can ask questions.

Orion will be the most advanced spacecraft ever designed and carry astronauts farther into space than ever before. ESA’s service module will be based on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). Sitting directly below Orion’s crew capsule, it will provide propulsion, power, thermal control, as well as supplying water and atmosphere for the astronauts in the habitable module.

Details in ESA web

Details and links to NASA TV

YouTube SpaceLab: winning experiments performed live in space

Watch live on Thursday, 13 September 2012, when winners of the YouTube Spacelab competition will see their experiments performed on board the ISS. The programme will be streamed live from London, England, and is hosted by Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, USA.

Webcast starts 13:00 GMT - 15:30 CEST

ESA astronaut Frank De Winne will participate in the live event, transmitted from the International Space Station to the world via YouTube. De Winne, Head of the European Astronaut Centre, acted as one of Europe’s jurors of the international student competition.

The NASA, YouTube, ESA and Lenovo "YouTube SpaceLab" competition culminated in the March 2012 announcement of two global winners: Amr Mohamed from Alexandria, Egypt, and Dorothy Chen and Sara Ma, from Michigan, USA.

The spider experiment of 18-year-old Amr was the final EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa) winner. In May, Amr presented his experiment to ESA astronauts, European students and media at ESA’s astronaut centre in Cologne, Germany.

Details via ESA

ATV spotted at NASA’s ISS Mission Control Centre

Good catch & grab from NASA TV by Twitter user @StarlingLX! She is also attending the AndreTweetup on 29 March at ESA/ESTEC. Thanks, Alex, for a great photo! NASA Flight Directors Katja Leuoth and Cise (@CarbonFlight) are seen in the photo.

@esaoperations Thought the same thing. Cool! Took a screenshot the other day with @Carbon_Flight on console. #ATV3 twitter.com/starlingLX/sta…

-- Alex von Eckartsberg (@starlingLX) 16 May 2012

ATV seen 'on console' at NASA MCC-H Credit: NASA TV/@starlingLX

ATV seen 'on console' at NASA MCC-H Credit: NASA TV/@starlingLX

ATV model spotted at ISS Symposium Berlin

Ahhh... we knew it wouldn't be long before someone spotted the ATV model at the excellent ISS Symposium, Berlin, taking place 2-4 May 2012. Thanks to Brigitte Bailleul (@Brigitte_Ba) for a nice photo! And follow the symposium live via ESA's blog.

ATV at ISS Symposium Berlin 2012 credit: @Brigitte_Ba

ATV at ISS Symposium Berlin 2012 credit: @Brigitte_Ba

 There actually is an #ATV model at #ISSBerlin! twitter.com/Brigitte_Ba/st…

— Brigitte Bailleul (@Brigitte_Ba) May 3, 2012

Follow the ISS Symposium in Berlin

ISS symposium 2012

ISS symposium 2012

Senior scientists and heads of the five International Space Station partners will present ground-breaking research and discuss future projects in Berlin on 2–4 May. Follow the first International Space Station symposium live on the web through its dedicated website.

Visit: http://www.isssymposium2012.com to follow the conference in real time. Throughout the symposium summaries of presentations will be posted along with video interviews with key participants.

More about the ISS Symposium on the ESA Portal

World live premiere: back at the ISS!

Those lucky souls living near Hilversum, The Netherlands, are in for a treat: Beatles tribute band Love & Mersey will -- for the first time ever -- perform our 2012 ATV music video, Back at the ISS, before a live audience at the 33rd International Beatles Day, 8 April 2012.

We wish Love & Mersey a fantastic time and hope everyone enjoys the concert! PS: L&M come on stage at about 12:30...

33rd International Beatles Day
Sunday, 8 April (Easter Sunday) || 10:00 – 18:00
Podium de Vorstin (5-minute walk from Hilversum Central Station)
Koninginneweg 44
1211 AS Hilversum, NL
http://bit.ly/33rd_beatlesday_08042012