ESA astronaut André Kuipers and cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko open the hatch and start unloading ESA’s supply ship Automated Transfer Vehicle ‘Edoardo Amaldi’ in this video produced by ESA TV. The Automated Transfer Vehicle docked with the International Space Station on 29 March 2012 delivering around two tonnes of dry cargo, 285 kg of water and more than three tonnes of propellants.
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Discussion: 2 comments
why they are using a mask inside the ATV??
Carlos: When the hatch is first opened, and the astros enter ATV, they wear masks to protect them against inhaling any fine particles of dust or debris that may have inadvertently gone into orbit with the vessel. Normally, under gravity, such fine particles would mostly stay wherever they’ve landed. Once in orbit, they float freely and become a breathing hazard. One of the first things the crew does is install fans and air cleaners to run for several hours inside ATV.