ATV-3 Edoardo Amaldi=Ariane-5ES (VA-205)- 23.03.12 08:34 ЛМВ

[Salo]

http://www.itar-tass.com/c134/218356.html

10:14 05/09/2011
В Гвианском космическом центре начата подготовка третьего европейского автоматического транспортного корабля ATV для снабжения МКС[/size]

КУРУ, Французская Гвиана, 5 сентября. (АРМС-ТАСС). В Гвианском космическом центре начата 180-дневная подготовка третьего европейского автоматического транспортного корабля ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) для снабжения международной космической станции (МКС). Корабль ATV будет запущен весной 2012 года.

Об этом корр.АРМС-ТАСС сообщили в компании "Арианспейс", которая будет осуществлять запуск ATV на орбиту с помощью тяжелой ракеты-носителя "Ариан-5".

В корпусе подготовки полезной нагрузки Гвианского космического центра S5 два основных компонента корабля ATV - отсек полезной нагрузки и служебный модуль пройдут первоначальную проверку. Этой проверкой будет начато выполнение комплексной программы подготовки корабля ATV.

Оба компонента находятся в корпусе S5 после выгрузки из транспортных контейнеров, в которых они находились во время многонедельной перевозки по морю из Европы в Южную Америку. Корпус S5 имеет чистые помещения площадью 700 кв.м для подготовки основных ПН типа ATV. К этим зонам примыкают офисные помещения для технических служб, проводящих проверку ПН.

Третий корабль ATV назван именем итальянского физика "Эдуардо Амальди". Он доставит к МКС две тонны сухих грузов, 285 кг воды и более трех тонн топлива.

Первый корабль ATV-1 "Жюль Верн" был выведен на орбиту в марте 2008 г., второй корабль ATV-2 "Иоганн Кеплер" - в феврале 2011 г.[/size]

[Salo]

http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/change_log.php

2011-10-13   ISS-ATV-03   Launch date set at 2/29/2012

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/859.asp

The Arianespace launcher family comes together in French Guiana[/size]


An element for Ariane 5's VA205 mission is unloaded from the MN Colibri at Kourou's Pariacabo Port. This roll-on/roll-off ship also brought components for the no. 1 Vega to be operated from the Spaceport.


October 26, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA205, Vega Flight VV01 and Soyuz Flight VS02

Arianespace's full launcher family is now an operational reality as flight-ready versions of all three vehicles – Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega – are together at the Spaceport for the first time, positioning them for upcoming missions with payloads that range from compact scientific and educational spacecraft to a large resupply vessel for the International Space Station.

The most recent arrivals in French Guiana are a heavy-lift Ariane 5 and the initial lightweight Vega – both of which were delivered this week to the Spaceport by the MN Colibri roll-on/roll-off ship after a trans-Atlantic voyage from Europe.  They join a medium-lift Soyuz launcher that was transported from Russia aboard the MN Colibri earlier this year.

The Ariane 5 will be assembled for an early 2012 liftoff from the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone with Europe's latest Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), which is the third entrusted to Arianespace for orbiting.

This ATV, named after Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi, will be loaded with dry cargo, water and propellants for a rendezvous with the space station in low-Earth orbit.  It will be launched on a mission designated VA205 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering, signifying the 205th flight of a vehicle in the Ariane series.

Its ATV payload was developed in a program managed by the European Space Agency, and is a 20-metric-ton-class spacecraft that serves as a vital element of the International Space Station's logistics.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/864.asp

Launcher build-up begins for Arianespace's third Ariane 5 mission to orbit an Automated Transfer Vehicle[/size]

November 7, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA205

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's third flight to service the International Space Station has begun its build-up at the Spaceport, preparing this heavy-lift launcher for an early 2012 mission from French Guiana with a European Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo resupply vessel.

During activity in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building, the Ariane 5's core cryogenic stage was removed from its protective shipping container and raised into position over one of two operational mobile launch tables.

This cleared the way for rollout of the two solid propellant boosters, which will be mated to the core stage.  It is to be followed by integration of the EPS storable propellant upper stage and vehicle equipment bay, completing the basic assembly for the Ariane 5 ES version used on missions with Automated Transfer Vehicles.

The upcoming flight will continue Arianespace's support of International Space Station servicing, orbiting ATVs that support operation of the crewed orbital facility.  Named after Italian cosmic ray physicist Edoardo Amaldi, this latest Automated Transfer Vehicle will carry dry cargo, water and propellant.

The previous Ariane 5 missions with ATVs were launched by Arianespace in February of this year and in March 2008.


Ariane 5's core cryogenic stage is hoisted for positioning over its mobile launch table inside the Spaceport's integration building in French Guiana.[/size]

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2011/11/10/dry-cargo-for-atv/

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/865.asp

An assembly milestone is reached with the Ariane 5 that will orbit Europe's next ATV[/size]

November 18, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA205

Basic build-up of the Ariane 5 for Arianespace's upcoming mission with the no. 3 Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) has been completed, as preparations continue for an early 2012 launch from the Spaceport to service the International Space Station.

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 was "topped off" this week with its vehicle equipment bay and EPS storable propellant upper stage, which were installed atop the core cryogenic stage that previously had been joined with the launcher's two solid propellant boosters.

Ariane 5's EPS upper stage is designed to be reignited during flight – a capability required in the mission profile to loft the ATV for its low Earth orbit rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Once the built-up Ariane 5 has finished the current phase of validation tests in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building, it will be moved to the Final Assembly Building and delivered to Arianespace for installation of the ATV and the final operations leading to launch.

This latest ATV is named after Italian cosmic ray physicist Edoardo Amaldi and will carry cargo, water and propellant to the International Space Station.  It will be the third such resupply spacecraft launched by Arianespace, following missions this past February with ATV Johannes Kepler and in March 2008 with ATV Jules Verne.

The ATV is part of Europe's contribution to the International Space Station's operation.  It is produced in a multi-national team led by EADS Astrium, which also is the industrial prime contractor for Ariane 5. [/size]


Ariane 5 is "topped off" with its EPS storable propellant upper stage in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/867.asp

Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle is loaded with cargo for its 2012 launch by Arianespace[/size]

November 29, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA205

Cargo loading is underway in French Guiana for the no. 3 Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), which is being readied for a 2012 launch from the Spaceport on Arianespace's next Ariane 5 servicing mission to the International Space Station.

This ATV will carry an estimated 6,960 kg. of dry cargo, propellant, water and gas, with transfer operations to the spacecraft's Integrated Cargo Carrier section now occurring inside the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation building.

The actual cargo mix of each ATV is defined according to the International Space Station's needs prior to a launch of the resupply vessel to the crewed orbital facility.

For the no. 3 ATV – which is named after Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi – the payload will consist of 2,900 kg. of propellant for its own propulsion system, 860 kg. of Russian propellant for the International Space Station's engines, 285 kg. of Russian-supplied water, 102 kg. of gas (consisting of air, oxygen and/or nitrogen), and 2,450 kg. of dry cargo (composed of such items as food, clothing and spare parts).

The dry cargo is contained in special bags that are positioned on racks inside the ATV's Integrated Cargo Carrier, with the locations calculated based on their contents and considerations for the resupply spacecraft's center-of-mass determination.

Loading of the cargo is performed in clean-room conditions that meet standards for manned spaceflight, as the ATV becomes an integral part of the International Space Station while docked to the platform in Earth orbit.

Prior to the ATV's Ariane 5 launch by Arianespace in March 2012, its Integrated Cargo Carrier will be mated with the Service Module in French Guiana to form the complete vehicle.  The ATV's unpressurized Service Module contains propulsion systems, electrical power, computers, communications and a majority of the vessel's avionics.

The ATV is an important element of Europe's contribution to the International Space Station's operation, with program management performed by the European Space Agency.   Its series of resupply spacecraft is produced in a multi-national team led by the Astrium business unit of EADS, which also is the industrial prime contractor for Ariane 5.

Arianespace lofted the no. 1 ATV (named after Jules Verne) in March 2008, followed by its orbiting of ATV Johannes Kepler this past February.

Initial cargo loading operations for ATV Edoardo Amaldi are highlighted in this photo series, taken in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation building.


At left, one of the cargo bags is brought up steps leading to the ATV's Integrated Cargo Carrier section.


 The center photo shows the Integrated Cargo Carrier, with its internal racks clearly visible.


The close-up photo at right highlights the placement of one cargo bag on its designated rack.[/size]

[Salo]

http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php

TBD   ISS-ATV-03

[Salo]

http://www.dlr.de/rd/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4926/8178_read-5116/

Ariane-5ES   553   VA205  09.03.2012   ATV Edoardo Amaldi   ISS-Mission

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2011/11/10/dry-cargo-for-atv/

http://download.esa.int/HSO/ATV/ATV3_factsheet.pdf

[Потусторонний]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/vs02-success.asp
The Integrated Cargo Carrier section (at left) is hoisted for mating this week with the Service Module (partly visible at right) of Europe's no. 3 Automated Transfer Vehicle, which will be launched in March 2012 by an Ariane 5.

[Salo]

Фотогалерея подготовки к пуску:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkpro/sets/72157628430606949/

[instml]

ЕКА прекращает производство грузовых кораблей ATV после 2014 года

КОСМОДРОМ БАЙКОНУР (Казахстан), 20 дек - РИА Новости. Европейское космическое агентство (ЕКА) после 2014 года прекратит производство грузовых космических кораблей ATV, сообщил руководитель ЕКА Жан-Жак Дорден в среду журналистам.

Два первых корабля ATV были запущены в 2008 и в 2011 годах.

"Третий ATV будет запущен 9 марта следующего года. Вчера я принял решение начать заправку ATV. Это подтверждает, что все идет по графику. Четвертый будет запущен в марте 2013 года. И пятый - в марте 2014 года. Запуск этих пяти аппаратов покрывает обязательства ЕКА до 2017 года", - сказал Дорден.

"Таким образом, с помощью постройки и запуска этих пяти ATV мы покрываем свои обязательства заранее. В любом случае, мы приняли решение прекратить производство ATV после производства пятого аппарата. Что касается покрытия наших обязательств по МКС (Международной космической станции) после 2017 года, мы приняли решение производить другие корабли", - сообщил глава ЕКА.

По его словам, европейские специалисты сейчас обсуждают с представителями НАСА, какие именно корабли нужно будет разрабатывать для покрытия периода с 2018 по 2020 годы.

Отвечая на вопрос, будет ли создаваться грузовозвращаемая версия корабля ATV, Дорден сообщил, что работа над этим ведется, но проектировать такой корабль еще не начали.

Первый ATV получил название "Жюль Верн" (Jules Verne). В 2008 году он совершил демонстрационный полет на МКС и доставил на станцию груз массой 4,5 тонны. Второй "еврогрузовик" ATV-2 "Иоганн Кеплер" прибыл к МКС в феврале 2011 года и оставался пристыкованным к станции до конца июня.

http://ria.ru/science/20111221/522381404.html

[Salo]

http://ria.ru/science/20111221/522629595.html

Российский космонавт получил "права" на управление кораблем ATV-3[/size]
17:49 21/12/2011

МОСКВА, 21 дек - РИА Новости. Российский космонавт Олег Кононенко, стартовавший к МКС в составе нового экипажа, успешно сдал экзамены и получил сертификат на право управления европейским космическим кораблем ATV-3.

Третий еврогрузовик встретят находящиеся сейчас на станции космонавты Роскосмоса Антон Шкаплеров, Анатолий Иванишин и астронавт НАСА Дэниел Бербэнк, а также космонавт Роскосмоса Олег Кононенко, астронавт Европейского космического агентства Андре Кауперс и астронавт НАСА Дональд Петтит, которые стартовали к МКС в среду.

"Олег Кононенко вместе с остальными членами экипажа... сдавал экзамен на тренажере "Телеоператор" по сближению и причаливанию к МКС. По итогам этого экзамена он получил сертификат на право мониторинга сближения причаливания и стыковки европейского космического корабля ATV-3", - сказал ранее представитель российского Центра подготовки космонавтов (ЦПК).

Первый космический европейский грузовик, запущенный в 2008 году к МКС, назывался "Жюль Верн". Второй корабль, который был запущен в феврале этого года, носил имя "Иоганн Кеплер". Третий по счету грузовик ATV-3 (его запуск намечен на февраль 2012 года) получил название "Эдоардо Амальди" в честь итальянского физика и пионера космонавтики. Четвертый грузовой космический корабль ATV, который отправится к МКС в начале 2013 года, официально назван в честь физика Альберта Эйнштейна.

Европейский грузовой корабль способен доставить на МКС около 7,5 тонны топлива, воды, кислорода, азота и других материалов. Это приблизительно в три раза больше, чем доставляет на станцию российский грузовой корабль "Прогресс". С помощью его двигателей также осуществляется коррекция орбиты станции. Кроме того, "грузовик" предназначен для освобождения МКС от отработанных материалов и мусора.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/877.asp

Ariane 5 is prepared for its initial 2012 mission, which will orbit Europe's next Automated Transfer Vehicle[/size]
December 21, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA205

Arianespace is readying the first Ariane 5 for launch in 2012 from French Guiana following delivery of this heavy-lift workhorse yesterday at the Spaceport by its industrial prime contractor, Astrium.

The Ariane 5 ES vehicle is now in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building following its transfer from the Launcher Integration Building – where it underwent integration of its core cryogenic stage, solid propellant boosters, equipment bay and EPS upper stage.

This version of Arianespace's workhorse heavy-lift launcher is now ready to receive its payload: the no. 3 Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo resupply vessel developed by Europe for servicing of the International Space Station.

The latest ATV is named after Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi and will carry an estimated 6,960 kg. of dry cargo, propellant, water and gas when it lifts off next March 9 from French Guiana.

Arianespace is entrusted with the orbiting of ATVs under contract to the European Space Agency.  The company lofted ATV no. 1 (named after Jules Verne) in March 2008, which was followed by the launch of ATV Johannes Kepler this past February.

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's mission with ATV Edoardo Amaldi is shown during its transfer from the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building to the Final Assembly Building.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/880.asp

The third Automated Transfer Vehicle is fueled for its March launch on Ariane 5[/size]

January 20, 2012 – Ariane Flight VA205

Fueling is underway for Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) at the Spaceport in French Guiana, which will be launched by Arianespace in March aboard an Ariane 5 on an International Space Station servicing mission.

This process is being performed in the S5B hall of the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility, where the large cargo vessel was integrated and received its cargo.

Named after Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi, the ATV will carry a fuel load estimated at 6,060 kg.  Of this total, approximately 2,200 kg. is for use on the spacecraft's travel to the International Space Station after launch by Ariane 5, and for the post-mission de-orbiting; some 3,000 kg. will be consumed in attitude control and re-boost maneuvers while the ATV is mated to the International Space Station; and the remaining 860 kg. is destined for transfer from the ATV to the station's Russian portion.

Liftoff of the ATV Edoardo Amaldi is scheduled for March 9 from the Spaceport, carrying some 6,960 kg. of dry cargo, water, gas and propellant for delivery to the International Space Station.

Arianespace's mission will follow Ariane 5 launches of ATVs in February 2011 and March 2008.  The ATV program is managed by the European Space Agency, with production of the spacecraft performed by an Astrium-led industry consortium.  

In separate activity, the cargo module for Europe's fourth ATV, named after Albert Einstein, was transferred from its production location in Turin, Italy to Bremen, Germany on December 30 for final testing.  Shipment of the full ATV – consisting of the cargo section and service module – to French Guiana is expected in the second half of this year, for a launch on Ariane 5 targeted for early 2013.


ATV Edoardo Amaldi is being fueled in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility.[/size]

[Salo]

Recycling urine: Last-minute cargo addition to ATV-3[/size]
Posted on 1 Feb 2012 at 17:34 CET by julien


The FCPA packaged and ready to be shipped to Kourou Credits: NASA

Perhaps the most valuable cargo on ATV-3 is the Fluids Control Pump Assembly (FCPA). This is a critical piece of the system that recycles urine into drinkable water, and that could affect the ISS life support systems.

Right now, there is an FCPA in use but no spare available on the ISS. If it breaks down, the astronauts would still have enough water for some time, but the Station wouldn't work at full efficiency.

NASA decided to send a replacement as soon as possible and alerted the ATV-3 cargo planners to reserve a space for the water processing unit. There was one caveat: the machine would not be ready for loading until shortly before launch, raising the critical question: Would it even be possible to load it last-minute?

Usually all cargo is loaded on the ATV from the 'back' of the Integrate Cargo Carrier (ICC) – before the systems and propulsion module is attached.

Once ATV has been assembled the only way to access the cargo space is through the (small) main hatch, the same one used by astronauts on the ISS. Normally cargo loaded this way is restricted to a standard Double-sized Cargo Transfer Bag (CTB), measuring 49 x 42 x 50 cm and with a maximum mass of 25 kg. Also, cargo is normally loaded into rack sectors, or 'shelves.'

Moving a large, 50-kg water processing unit in space requires skill and precision, while on Earth gravity becomes an extra force to contend with.

In addition, the unit is too big to be loaded inside a rack, so it must be loaded in one of the large M-01 bags that are mounted on Adapter Plates to the front of the racks. Although the contents of an M-01 bag must fit through ATV's hatch, the bag itself does not. Luckily NASA had given the ATV team a few months' warning, so the team set down to tackle the problem.

Reserving the space for the water processing unit was easy. An M-01 bag was earmarked and placed in the ATV. Can you spot the empty bag in the picture below?


ATV-3 Cargo Credits ESA / K. MacDonell


ATV-3 mock-up used for testing a new loading crane Credits: ESA / K. MacDonell

A full scale mock-up of the ATV in launch position had just been built in Switzerland (to test a new last-minute loading crane which will be used on ATV-4). Although the crane would not be ready for this launch, the mock-up did give the team a good environment to practice lowering and stowing the water processing unit for ATV-3.

Loading the water unit requires opening the M-01 bag and undoing the straps. However these straps also keep the bags secured to the Adapter Plate mounted on the front of the rack. The platform that lowers the engineer is not wide enough to support the bag when unclipped. Therefore, a sling was designed to carry the load of the bag when unstrapped.

One problem encountered during the practice runs was that the sling did not prevent the bag from sliding out of the retaining fence on the Adapter Plate. This meant that the bag started to sag leaving a gap between the stowage and its temporary support. A simple but effective solution was found: insert a wedge to hold everything up.
 
http://blogs.esa.int/atv/files/2012/02/double3-1024x384.jpg
Left: Gap between the M-01 bag and its support. Right: The wedge used to fill the gap Credits: ESA / K MacDonell

After a few simulations the ATV team were able to master the new process and are ready to load the water unit for real, in Kourou, just prior to next month's launch. They will be travelling to Kourou next week where the finished water processing unit will be flown in from Houston.

We are sure the astronauts in space will 'appreciate' (if that's the right word!) efforts made on Earth so that they can drink their processed urine.

Yes, ATV-3 will bring 285 litres of fresh water – but recycling (and having a back-up unit in orbit) is always a good thing![/size]

[Потусторонний]

новый загрузочный кран еще только делают, а сейчас Last-minute cargo addition crane выглядит так:  

Желтые газоанализаторы?

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/va205/120208baf/

ESA's space station cargo craft 30 days from launch[/size]
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: February 8, 2012

Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle was moved to the Ariane 5 launcher's final assembly building Tuesday, commencing the last phase of the cargo freighter's launch campaign before blasting off March 9 for the International Space Station.


The Automated Transfer Vehicle was lifted atop an adapter Feb. 4. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace
 
Outfitted with eight supply racks, two more than the first two ATV missions, craft will carry about 1,300 pounds more dry cargo than the disposable freighter's previous flight last year.

"Every cubic centimeter of the carrier is at full capability," said a European Space Agency fact sheet.

The ATV is the space station's largest resupply vessel following the retirement of the space shuttle.

It's also loaded with more than 3,000 pounds less rocket fuel than the ATV 2 flight, which boosted the space station's orbit by 22 miles in June 2011. No such reboost is planned for the ATV 3 mission.

Officials can adjust the cargo manifest on each ATV mission based on the needs of the space station. ATV 3 carries 220 pounds of pressurized gas and 75 gallons of potable water for the outpost's atmosphere and residents.

The spacecraft is being prepared for launch in March from the Guiana Space Center, a European-run spaceport in French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America.

Already filled with propellant, water, pressurized air and oxygen, and most of its dry cargo, the 32-foot-long spacecraft was slowly towed from the Guiana Space Center's S5 processing facility to the Ariane 5's final assembly building Tuesday night, according to Massimo Cislaghi, ESA's manager of the ATV 3 mission.


The Ariane 5 rocket moved from the launcher integration building to the final assembly building in December. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace
 
The adapter connecting the ATV with the Ariane 5 launcher's upper stage was scheduled to be added to the rocket Wednesday, and the 22-ton cargo freighter willbe lifted on top of the launcher Thursday, crowning the 165-foot-tall vehicle. The Ariane 5's payload fairing will be added to encapsulate the ATV on Feb. 27, according to Cislaghi.

ATV 3 is nicknamed Edoardo Amaldi after the Italian physicist who make groundbreaking discoveries in nuclear and particle physics and later helped foster the precursor to ESA.

The ATV will refuel the space station with maneuvering propellant, replenish the outpost's atmosphere with oxygen and air, and deliver 4,850 pounds of dry cargo, including spare parts, food and payloads.

Launch of the ATV is scheduled for March 9 at about 1000 GMT (5 a.m. EST). The robotic spacecraft will dock with the space station's Zvezda service module March 19 at 0238 GMT (10:38 p.m. EDT on March 18 ), according to projections.

The launch and docking times will be adjusted over the coming weeks.

Using special techniques while the ATV is mounted on top of the launcher, technicians will next week load nearly 1,179 pounds more cargo into the freighter's pressurized cabin. The complex process will take two days to complete beginning Feb. 14, according to Cislaghi.

Engineers expanded the late cargo load for ATV 3, doubling the mass of supplies to be installed inside the ship so close to liftoff over the second ATV mission, which launched in February 2011.


Workers installed cargo bags into the ATV's pressurized section in November. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace
 
Workers will place about 60 bags of cargo into the spacecraft next week, including crew care packages for each of the six residents aboard the international outpost.

Another late addition to the ATV's cargo manifest is a pump for the station's urine processing system, which purifies waste water into drinking water for the crew aboard the orbiting lab.

The fluids control pump assembly, provided by NASA, moves urine from a waste water tank into a distiller, which removes contaminants from the liquid.

The 110-pound pump would normally be placed inside the ATV with other large pieces of cargo, but the assembly did not arrive when most of the ship's payload was loaded last fall. Instead, the pump must be carefully lowered through the craft's forward hatch, which points up when the ATV is attached to the Ariane 5 launcher.

The Edoardo Amaldi cargo ship will remain attached to the space station until late August, when it will undock and burn up in Earth's atmosphere, disposing of trash from the outpost.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMRNPVX7YG_index_0.html

Europe's ATV space ferry set for launch to Space Station
 
8 February 2012
Fuel, water, oxygen, air and most of the dry cargo have been loaded into ESA's third Automated Transfer Vehicle, Edoardo Amaldi, as the 9 March liftoff approaches.
 

ATV-3 fuelling

Since arrival at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, last August, the space ferry has been undergoing intensive preparations to fly to the International Space Station next month.

The vessel's mission is set to start with liftoff at 10:00 GMT (11:00 CET) on 9 March on a powerful Ariane 5 ES launcher. It will dock automatically with the Station at 01:38 GMT (02:38 CET) on 19 March, remaining attached until the end of August.

Launch preparations began as soon as the 10-tonne ferry's two main sections – the cargo carrier and the spacecraft itself – arrived in French Guiana by ship late in August.  
 
Starting to look like a real spacecraft
 
"By end-August, we had moved both halves into their respective cleanrooms here and started checking that everything was OK after the sea journey," says ESA's Charlotte Beskow, ATV deputy launch campaign manager.
 
   
ATV-3 loading in process

"September and October were spent checking systems, preparing the loading of dry cargo arriving from Europe and NASA, and integrating final components such as the folding solar panels that had been shipped disassembled.

"By mid-December the two sections of ATV-3 had been joined, and Edoardo Amaldi finally looked like a real spacecraft."
   
"By the end of last week, we had loaded 5411 kg of fuel."
January saw a series of delicate fuelling operations, says Charlotte: "By the end of last week, we had loaded 5411 kg of fuel, to be used to power itself and to perform reboost and attitude control of the Station, plus 860 kg of fuel to be transferred to the Russian Station segment. We've also taken on air and oxygen."
 
Part of February will be spent loading 535 kg of last-minute items, which must be carefully lowered into the ATV's cargo compartment via the main docking hatch.
   
Jules Verne is watched backing away from ISS   
 

Ready to go to Station
 
In parallel, the operations team at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France, have been running exhaustive simulations to ensure that controllers and engineers are ready for all phases of the flight as well as any emergencies.
 
"We practise for any conceivable situation. For example, what to do if docking goes wrong or if we suddenly lost our main flight computers," says Jean-Michel Bois, Head of the ESA Operations Management Team in Toulouse.

"The entire ground team and our mission control systems passed the Joint Operational Readiness Review with NASA and Russia's Roscosmos/RSC Energia on 17 January, and, here in Toulouse, we completed a tough, three-day simulation on 27 January.

As of today, we are ready to go to the Space Station."

Last week, ATV-3 also passed the critical Flight Acceptance and Operations Readiness reviews, but a number of crucial launch preparations must still be completed.
 
ATV-3 assembly on Ariane


ATV-3 transfer
   
"On 7 February, ATV Edoardo Amaldi will be moved to the huge Vertical Integration Building for mounting on the top of its Ariane launcher two days later," says ESA's Massimo Cislaghi, ATV-3 mission manager.

"There are also additional simulations planned, including one involving the Station control centres in Houston and Moscow.

"By early March, we will be ready for a spectacular morning liftoff and a smooth flight to the Station."[/size]