ATV 1 (Jules Verne)

Spacecraft nº:

ESA spacecraft nº: 66

Description:

ATV comparation



• First European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to be launched towards the International Space Station: named in honour of the French science fiction writer. Satellite manufactured by EADS Astrium, leading a consortium that included Thales Alenia Space (Italy), Contraves (Switzerland) and Dutch Space (Netherlands). The ATV comprises two main sections: the pressurised cargo carrier and the spacecraft section, the latter carrying the avionics, propulsions system, solar panels, etc. Diameter of the module is 4.48 metres, overall length 9.79 metres (10.77 metres including the Separation and Distancing Module). Four vanes of solar panels are deployed in orbit, with a span of 22.28 metres. Mass quoted above is at launch: the dry mass of the module is 9,784 kg: 5,858 kg of propellant is carried for in-orbit manoeuvres (including raising the orbit of ISS), together with 4,597 kg cargo in support of the ISS (including propellant to be transferred to ISS).
• The pre-launch plan called for the launch to an initial 130-260 km orbit, with the second stage performing a circularisation burn after 45 minutes: the second stage would de-orbit itself about two and a half hours after launch.
• The Ariane model 5ES launch vehicle, vehicle L528, has the enhanced EAP solid boosters and EPC core stage of the heavy-lift Ariane 5ECA variant, combined with the lower-capacity EPS upper stage which has been modified to include a restart capability (sometimes called EPS-V for Versatile); the VEB (vehicle equipment bay) instrument unit above the EPS is structurally enhanced to carry the heavy ATV.
• The ATV carries 1300 kg of dry cargo, 302 kg of water and oxygen, and 860 kg of propellant cargo for the ISS, for a total cargo mass of 2462 kg. The dry ATV has a mass of 10075 kg and it carries 6475 kg of its own propellant, so that after separation from the EPS the wet ATV with cargo totals 19012 kg. This doesn't count the 345 kg Separation and Distancing Module (SDM) which stays attached to the EPS stage. The total ATV launch mass (including the SDM) is quoted as 19407 kg.
• The EPS upper stage has a mass of 1300 kg dry and carries a partial propellant load of only 5200 kg for this mission instead of the usual 10000 kg. In addition, a Vehicle Equipment Bay of about 1400 kg and the SDM make the total wet mass of the EPS-VEB-SDM-ATV composite about 28300 kg at separation from the EPC. The dry EPS-VEB-SDM after ATV separation and the EPS depletion/deorbit burn is around 3050 kg.

Mission:

• After launch from the ELA3 pad at Kourou, vehicle L528's EPC core stage reached a -1304 x 139 km x 51.2 deg trajectory at 04:12 UTC flying north-east from Kourou, separated a few seconds later, and fell in the Atlantic at around 04:20 UTC. The EPS stage made its first burn and reached a 137 x 260 km orbit at 0420:17 UTC. After a coast period, EPS reignited at apogee at 0505:14 UTC for a 30-second second burn to enter a safer 254 x 272 km x 51.6 deg orbit. At 0509:43 UTC the EPS separated from the ATV; at 0627 UTC it was due to make a third burn to lower perigee and reenter over the South Pacific at around 0651 UTC. The ATV deployed its solar panels and prepared for the rendezvous sequence with the Space Station.
• A fault developed with the ATV's Propulsion Drive Electronics, resulting in a slight delay in the planned manoeuvres. Once the problem was overcome the ATV manoeuvres recommenced. The large number of manoeuvres (appr 17) before the ATV docked with ISS was a result of the extensive testing of the module's safety procedures, to ensure that is something went wrong during the automatic approach and docking procedures, the procedures could be safely aborted and the module would retreat from the station.
  
  

  ATV approch the ISS

  
  
• Soft docking of the ATV at the rear longitudinal port of the ISS/Zvezda module took place on April 3 at 14:45 UT, with the hard docking being completed at 14:52 UT. Europe is the second "space nation" to demonstrate the ability to perform the in-orbit automatic docking of spacecraft which have been launched separately. ATV 1 is expected to remain in orbit until about August 2008.
• The Jules Verne ATV undocked from the Zvezda-aft port on Sep 5; was deorbited over the Pacific on Sep 29, and re-entering at 13:31 UTC.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Kourou - Guyane, ESA cover

Cancel follow station, ESA cover. Credit: #401

Launch cancel Kourou.

Docking cancel Korolev to ISS.

Undocking cancel Kourou - Guyane, ESA cover

De-orbitering and re-entering cancel Kourou: 29 Sep 2008, ESA cover