ESA’s Volare mission director Roland Luettgens latest update on ATV-4 preparations from an astronaut perspective:
Although astronauts are well trained for the arrival of ESA’s supply ship ATV-4, they are spending time these days to refresh their knowledge, to make sure they are ready.
The main astronaut task during the rendezvous and docking of ATV Albert Einstein is monitoring the spacecraft’s automated approach and react in case of problems.
ATV approaching Station
The monitoring will start on Saturday at around 09:50 GMT when ATV-4 is still more than 15 km away from the International Space Station. Until then the crew, and in particular Luca, is preparing everything for Albert Einstein’s arrival. We expect some spectacular video and images taken when ATV-4 is closing in at about 1 km distance from the Station.
During the final approach the International Space Station and ATV-4 will pass through day and night several times as they travel at speeds of more than 28 000 km/h. At this speed they fly around Earth every 90 minutes.
Once ATV Albert Einstein has arrived, the crew will start preparing to enter the spaceship on Monday and start getting ready to unload the cargo. Luckily they are in space and gravity does not pull at them, so transferring the several tons of cargo is not ‘heavy’ work. We have planned to have the first major science experiment, FASES, moved out of ATV-4 and installed into the Columbus laboratory on Tuesday next week.
No ATV in sight… yet. Credits: ESA/NASA
Discussion: 12 comments
why is it called ATV?
Automatic Transfer Vehicle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Transfer_Vehicle
ATV stands for Automated Transfer Vehicle, check out the ATV website here: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ATV
The panel on the right shows dates in May ??
ie Docking 2:17:10 GMT on May 29
I assuem because we’ve named it ATV4 is going to stay docked permanently? if so who’s moving in, or will it just be a lab/games room?
The times on the right are Luca’s docking times. Watch the ATV-4 docking, Saturday, 15 June from 14:50-16:00 CEST (today!) from https://blogs.esa.int/atv
The docking information on the right refers to Luca’s spacecraft docking. ATV docking is on Saturday 15 June at 13:46 UTC
Looking Forward to Watching The Docking LIVE on NasaTV. I hope it’s on at a time that I can watch it. When and what time (GMT/UTC) will the Telecast begin, and the Docking happen ?
The docking broadcast on ESA television starts at 12:50 UTC. Docking is at 13:46 UTC. https://spaceinvideos.esa.int/esalive
I read in a different article, and am wondering why the Albert Einstein can only stay docked to the ISS for 6 months. Also, when the ATV enhances the ISS’ orbit, will the orbit or speed be changed or just prevented from deteriorating?
The goal of the ATV is multifold
#1 – It brings cargo (food/oxygen/stuff) to the ISS
#2 – The ISS is falling down permanently because it is dragged by the atmosphere, the ATV is used to boost up the ISS to its normal orbit
#3 – The astronauts puts all their wastes in the ATV, undock it and everything burns in the atmosphere during the re-entry.
The six-month docked timeline for ATV-4 is based on the schedule of other visiting vehicles (the number of docking ports are limited) and by spacecraft design. ATV can change the orbit of ISS, it can even push the Station out of the way of space debris!
Thanks for your descriptions and photos about the ATV4 and ProgressSS51P; I plan to look up to the sky between 10:15 and 10:45 tonight to see you pass over Regina, Saskatchewan Canada!