ATV-4 Albert Einstein-Ariane-5ES (VA213) - Kourou ELA-3 - 05.06.2013 21:52 UTC

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1011.asp

Ariane 5 arrives in French Guiana for Arianespace's fourth launch of an Automated Transfer Vehicle

February 1, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA213

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's upcoming flight with an Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) resupply spacecraft has arrived in French Guiana, maintaining the mission pace for this industry-leading launcher.
After completing a trans-Atlantic voyage on one of two roll-on/roll-off ships used in the transportation of Arianespace launch vehicles, the Ariane 5 was delivered to Pariacabo Port this week and transferred in a vehicle convoy to the nearby Spaceport.
Scheduled for the spring as Arianespace's second heavy-lift launch in 2013, the flight will orbit ATV Albert Einstein – Europe's fourth spacecraft for resupply of the International Space Station.
The mission is designated as Flight VA213, signifying the 213th launch of an Ariane fr om French Guiana since the family's maiden liftoff in 1979.  Its ATV Albert Einstein passenger is undergoing checkout in the Spaceport's S5 payload processing facility, wh ere the resupply craft recently took shape with the mating of its Integrated Cargo Carrier section and Service Module.
 Developed under responsibility of the European Space Agency, the ATV series of spacecraft is produced by an Astrium-led industry team.  The first ATV was orbited by Ariane 5 in March 2008, followed by launches of the two others in February 2011 and March 2012.
 
 
The container with Ariane 5's cryogenic core stage departs the roll-on/roll-off ship at Pariacabo Port in this view from the sea-going vessel.

[anik]

По последним данным, запуск планируется на 7 мая.

[Salo]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/02/dragon-third-visit-logistics-schedule-challenges/

Other ISS resupply vehicle flights have been undergoing schedule changes recently, with NASASpaceflight.com receiving word via L2 sources that the flight of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 (ATV-4) has been delayed from its previously planned date of May 7 to a new date of No Earlier Than (NET) June 7, due to the need to replace a failed electrical unit aboard ATV-4.

[Salo]

http://spaceinimages.esa.int/Images/2013/03/ATV-4_in_Kourou

ATV-4 in Kourou

Released 19/03/2013 12:00 pm
Copyright ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG

 A technician prepares ATV Albert Einstein's pressurised module at Europe's Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana to integrate it with the rest of the spacecraft. The pressurised module is used to store cargo and, once docked with the International Space Station, becomes a temporary habitable module.

 Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) are multi-function unmanned ferries sent into orbit by the European Ariane 5 launcher. Each spacecraft can deliver up to 7 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station including supplies and equipment, water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and fuel.

ATV-4 integration

Released 19/03/2013 12:00 pm
Copyright ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG

ATV Albert Einstein's pressurised module suspended at Europe's Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana in preparation to integrate it with the rest of the spacecraft. The pressurised module is used to store cargo and, once docked with the International Space Station, becomes a temporary habitable module.
Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) are multi-function unmanned ferries sent into orbit by the European Ariane 5 launcher. Each spacecraft can deliver up to 7 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station including supplies and equipment, water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and fuel.

Steady...

Released 19/03/2013 12:00 pm
Copyright ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG

A technician moves ATV Albert Einstein's pressurised module at Europe's Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana. Once in place it will be lowered onto the service module that is held up by scaffolding. The pressurised module is used to store cargo and, once docked with the International Space Station, becomes a temporary habitable module.

Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) are multi-function unmanned ferries sent into orbit by the European Ariane 5 launcher. Each spacecraft can deliver up to 7 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station including supplies and equipment, water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and fuel.

Lowering ATV-4 pressurised module

Released 19/03/2013 12:00 pm
Copyright ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG

ATV Albert Einstein's pressurised module is lowered onto the service module at Europe's Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana. The pressurised module is used to store cargo and, once docked with the International Space Station, becomes a temporary habitable module.

Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) are multi-function unmanned ferries sent into orbit by the European Ariane 5 launcher. Each spacecraft can deliver up to 7 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station including supplies and equipment, water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and fuel.

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/03/20/exciting-atv-days-ahead/

Exciting ATV days ahead
Posted on 20 Mar 2013 by Daniel   

Latest instalment of the mission diary from Charlotte Beskow, deputy ATV mission manager. Note the timeline of this post begins back in February and runs until last week – Ed.

ATV-4 launch:  June 2013
i.e. we are still at roughly L - 3 months
ATV-5 launch: Early 2014
We are at less than L - 12 months!

14 March 2013 - On board AF 3508 over the Atlantic on my way to Kourou! Here comes a smattering of details and updates, showing you what daily life can be like in this most fascinating of all worlds!

ATV-4 is transporting cargo to the International Space Station!

    Fuel for the Russian engines - 860 kg
    (Russian) Water for the crew - 570 kg
    Air (66 kg) and Oxygen (33 kg) - 99 kg
    Fuel for maintaining ISS orbit/reboosts - 2,235 kg
    Dry Cargo - 2,506 kg

9 March 2013 - Early loading of 'late-load cargo' including the 75-kg water pump is completed.

That's it for now!

I have left a cold and white Europe behind and am looking forward to the 25-29C in French Guyana, not to mention the exciting 'ATV days' ahead.


Inside view taken 9 March; the water pump is installed, hard-mounted on a rack adapter plate Credit: ESA/C. Beskow

– Charlotte


4 March 2013 - Kouoru: retesting is progressing fast

The remating of the ATV spacecraft to the ICC (Cargo Carrier) is scheduled for Friday, 15 March.  

Late cargo starts arriving this week. Normally this is loaded during the final preparations, ca. 13 days before launch. One item, weighing 75 kg, is a water pump destined for the ESA lab, Columbus. With respect to this cargo item we are grateful for the delay and the (re)opening of the ATV rear entrance. It is a lot easier to handle a 75-kg item when you have a floor to stand on, rather than trying to strap it in, with ATV in vertical position on top of Ariane 5,  whilst balancing on a very narrow platform.

[Salo]

Там же:

4 Feb 2013 - Simulation of of mission period launch to docking (LEDOWK)

This was an intensive week. It consisted of a full-scale simulation of launch to docking (LEDOWK, which normally takes ca. 8 days) at ATV-CC in Toulouse, involving the complete flight control team including the technical experts of the EST (Engineering Support Team) fr om ESTEC. To make it more interesting – and to make sure we are prepared for what might come during the real flight – the trainers worked overtime to put together various contingencies. These were sel ected based on previous flight experience, known weaknesses in the systems, and the sheer (evil? - Ed) inventiveness of the simulator experts.
Some of the Engineering Support Team (EST) members before the simulation started Credit: ESA/C. Beskow

Some of the Engineering Support Team (EST) members before the simulation started Credit: ESA/C. Beskow

As a consequence, LEDOWK is not the time to fine-tune your procedures, beef up you knowledge of ATV-CC nor develop working routines for the team. All this is either in place or will have to be dealt with some other time.

The EST are, by definition, called when problems arise. For us it was therefore a bit tricky to prepare a staffing plan that would not give away the planned failures. At the same time, we had to respect working-hour regulations and 'normal manning for the flight'. This led to some bizarre shifts, in which people had to turn up more than once in a given 24-hour period. Some were also on call – no sooner had they dropped into bed than the phone would ring with a call from a colleague in need of some vital info.

In terms of failures, we were not disappointed. The sim team kept us on our toes 24h/24 from Monday afternoon until Friday lunch time. The flight control team next door run regular shifts, wh ereas our hours changed daily. Add to this the use of simulated ISS time (covering 12 March 08:00 to 17 March 23:00 – with a few gaps – and local time being 2 hours behind (which of course had no relation to the real Toulouse local time) and, in the end, we had little idea of what day or what time it really was.  

This is exhausting!

An analysis of the time sheets show a normal working week i.e. ca 40 hours, but the many simulated failures, the erratic hours and the disturbed sleep meant that we felt as if we'd been working non-stop for two weeks.

Still, I must say, we all liked it. The failures are a challenge and it is fun to respond to them, to see if you can get the right information quickly enough, all the time knowing that if you fail, the worst thing that can happen is that the sim is stopped and restarted. Real life is different, hopefully very boring.

Remating Albert

Meanwhile, in Kourou, ATV Albert Einstein had been mated a second time just before LEDOWK started. Normally this is done only once during the pre-launch campaign, but the post-mating test had revealed a problem in the equipment connection, so the decision was taken to demate the spacecraft and the cargo carrier, remove the AAC (aft access closure) and fix the connector.

This had all been done, ATV was put back together and – whilst we had been working on simulated failures – the team running the post-mating test had, on 6 Feb, detected a real one. A meeting convened on Thursday, 7 February, to discuss the situation: 'Use as is' or demate again and exchange the faulty equipment. Obviously, this was not an easy decision. The offending equipment belonged to a complex subsystem and exchanging it would mean extensive retesting and a launch delay.

On that Thursday, incidentally, we had the pleasure of following the launch of Ariane V 212 taking place in Kourou, fr om our PC screens, during the simulation!

Even though I work with space, I find it equally fantastic every time. Launching a rocket is never a 'done deal'.  It is a complicated system with numerous interfaces, and there are a multitude of things that can go wrong with a greater or lesser impact on the launch and subsequent operations. This makes every launch equally demanding, and explains why there can be a delay in readiness for launch at the last minute.

Thursday, 7 February was also five years to the day since a Shuttle launched  carrying the European Columbus Laboratory, which was subsequently attached to the ISS. There was a celebration (!!!) in ESTEC; the rest if us spared it a thought but then got on with our work...

To cut a long story short, the teams in Kouoru, at ESTEC, and at Astrium (our ATV manufacturer) decided to replace the faulty equipment.

As a consequence, we would not be ready for launch by 18 April and this would move to May or even to June. Planning was again up in the air but... we had some breathing space.

[Salo]

anik пишет:

ATV-4 launch is planned on June 14th.

[Salo]

5 июня.

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/03/27/post-mating-tests-and-fuelling/#more-7028

Post-mating tests and fuelling up
Posted on 27 Mar 2013 by julien   


Boom support

ATV Operations Interface Manager (and, whilst in Kourou, acting launch
campaign manager) Charlotte Beskow, continues to keep us up to date with the latest instalment of the mission diary – Ed.

19 March 2013: One of the more visual tests is the deployment of the antenna boom. This boom carries the Prox link equipment, used for communicating directly with the International Space Station fr om a distance of 30 km (we send telemetry – TM – while the ISS sends GPS data and certain commands); the antenna boom is deployed in space, shortly after separation fr om Ariane.

Testing has to be done carefully to avoid damaging it! We might be rocket scientists but we prefer simple solutions, so we support the boom manually during the test.

20 March 2013 After fuelling has finished (towards end of April) ATV-4 will depart for the 'Batiment Assemblage Finale' (BAF) for the final stage of preparation.

This means that the teams have also been busy packing. A lot of equipment will not be needed for the ATV-4 campaign once it enters the fuelling hall and the equipment will either wait here at CSG for ATV-5 or return to Europe wh ere it is needed for the ATV-5 campaign. The logistics manager has her hands full. Some items are very large (the rig below for example). So dismounting and packing is a big task because you have to ensure that all parts go back to their packing boxes. Otherwise you might not be able to assemble it next time.


Wh ere did this part go?

21 March 2013 Post-mating tests concluded successfully, meaning that we are OK for the next big step, ATV fuelling. This is a big operation that needs careful preparation. ATV carries several tons of propellant for its own needs.

The two fuel elements are called MON and MMH. You can visualise it as a boat with an outboard engine. The boat is the Space Station and the 'outboard' engine is ATV (located at the bottom of the picture)

ATV also carries fuel for the Russian segment of the International Space Station. This fuel is used to maintain altitude and position in case no visiting vehicle is present. The two elements are called NTO and UDMH.

Each of these four components are toxic so handling them requires careful planning and strict adherence to the various safety regulations. Only one type of propellant is allowed onsite (at S5B) at one time (except in ATV of course). Operators must be dressed in protective clothing and no onlookers are allowed.

There can be up to seven teams involved in one fuelling operation so detailed preparations (hour by hour) for these operations occupy the teams weeks and are essential so that each team member (industry, Astrium, CSG, Safety) knows exactly what to do at any given moment.

21 March 2013 Teams performed the first part of He (helium) loading. He is used to pressurise propellant systems.  This can be done with ATV still in S5C. Actual fuel loading takes place in S5B.

25 March 2013

The teams continued with He loading into ATV. Final propulsion coordination meeting with CSG. In parallel other teams set up for the first part of the Russian fuel loading. The component UDMH needs to be prepared (stripped of Nitrogen) and this will be done in S5B tomorrow.


Team discussing the setup. The tank behind them is filled with UDMH
 

Procedure check


As you can see, S5B is empty and ready to receive ATV...

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/03/28/atv-4-moving-to-s5b/

ATV-4 moving to S5B
Posted on 28 Mar 2013 by Daniel   

One of our favourite views of any ATV launch campaign: moving the assembled and fuelled vessel on a giant skid to the S5B preparation zone in Kourou. From there, it will undergo final launch preparations and be hoisted to the top of the giant Ariane booster.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1027.asp

Europe's next ATV resupply spacecraft enters final preparations for its Ariane 5 launch

March 29, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA213

Europe's fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to service the International Space Station is entering its final preparation phase for a planned Ariane 5 launch this spring fr om French Guiana on Arianespace's Flight VA213.

Named after Albert Einstein, the ATV is being processed in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation building, where it was transferred yesterday from the facility's S5C large preparation hall into its S5B high-bay area. Riding on an air cushion pallet, the ATV was efficiently moved within the S5 building using internal transfer corridors that are maintained to clean-room conditions.

Following its final preparations, ATV Albert Einstein will be moved to the Spaceport's launcher integration building, wh ere the large spacecraft is to be integrated atop Ariane 5.

Weighing approximately 20 metric tons at launch, the series of Automated Transfer Vehicles are developed in a European program for resupply and servicing of the International Space Station, and they rendezvous with the orbital facility after being deployed by Ariane 5.

Produced by an Astrium-led industry team for the European Space Agency, this latest ATV will carry some 6,270 kg. of fuel, water, air, oxygen and dry cargo to the space station. Additionally, ATVs are commonly used to adjust the International Space Station's orbital altitude and make maneuvers to avoid collisions with space debris.

Flight VA213 signifies the 213th flight of an Ariane with this workhorse family of launchers since 1979. Arianespace is responsible for launching all ATVs, and has orbited three of them to date: ATV Edoardo Amaldi in 2012, ATV Johannes Kepler in 2011 and ATV Jules Verne in 2008.


At the Spaceport in French Guiana, the ATV Albert Einstein payload for Arianespace Flight VA213 is moved into the S5B high-bay area on an air cushion pallet for its final pre-launch preparations.

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/04/05/atv-4-before-fuelling/

ATV-4 before fuelling
Posted on 5 Apr 2013 by julien   

Some excellent new pictures in collaboration with our friends at CNES, Arianespace and Optique Video du CSG of ATV Albert Einstein before it went for fuelling. See more ATV pictures on ESA week in images.

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=6114.msg1035675#msg1035675

Galactic Penguin SST пишет:

As of yesterday the launch date for ATV-4 is June 5 @ 21:32 UTC, according to a member at http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr/t14431p45-lancement-ariane-5-es-va213-atv-4-albert-einstein-5-juin-2013.

Maybe the O3b sats will go first if ATV-4 slips again? (still 2 months out from launch after all)

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/04/11/atv-4-things-are-moving-forward/

ATV-4: Things are moving forward
Posted on 11 Apr 2013 by Daniel   

Quick overview: ATV-4 cargo for the International Space Station

    Fuel for the Russian engines: 860 kg (loading 2 & 11 April)
    (Russian) Water for the Crew: 570 kg loaded
    Air and O2: 66kg & 33kg, respectively (loading 13 & 15 April)
    Fuel for boosting ISS orbit: 2235kg (loading 19/20 & 25/26 April)
    Dry cargo: 2501kg (partly complete; late load cargo loaded in May)

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/04/12/atv-4-ten-days-launch-to-docking/#more-7154

ATV-4: Ten days launch to docking
Posted on 12 Apr 2013 by Daniel   

We received a query yesterday from Ian Benecken who asked, "Why does it take 10 days for ATV to reach the ISS? Has that something to do with the mass of that ATV?" We sent this query to ESA's lead mission director, Jean-Michel Bois, at ATV-CC, who provided this reply. Thanks, Ian, for your query!
Jean Michel Bois in ATV-CC just prior to launch 16 Feb 2011

Jean Michel Bois in ATV-CC just prior to launch 16 Feb 2011

The nominal duration from launch to docking is five days to 'phase' or synchronise the orbits of ATV and ISS. This '5-day' strategy allows a standard set of manoeuvres from the orbital injection point (by Ariane at 260km altitude) and the ISS orbit, which is at between 390-410 km, independently of the launch date and of the ISS position on its orbit.

Note that the ATV launch time is set to match when the ISS vertical plane is just passing by Kourou (so phasing concerns only ATV 'up/down' manoeuvres, not 'left/right' – which are very costly in propellant).


These five days are a compromise between various constraints, mainly to minimise the propellant consumption. This duration also allows the ATV Control Centre to perform all the verifications before starting the final rendezvous phase, which is a progressive and safe approach to the Station of several hours; keep in mind also that we have no specific urgency to arrive at the Station, which is not the case for the Soyuz vehicle with crew on board.

But on top of this nominal 5-day strategy, we have two other constraints:

    At the beginning (launch) we need to free the Kourou preparation rooms and launch pad as soon as possible to allow Arianespace, which is a commercial company, to launch numerous other satellites in the year. With now three launchers (Ariane, the Soyuz launcher and Vega), the Kourou logistic situation is complex!
    At the end (docking), we need to have a free docking port on the Station and must respect several ATV/ISS constraints, e.g. minimise solar dazzling of our video sensors, or be in visibility of the Russian ground tracking stations during the critical phase of the mechanical docking and electrical ATV-ISS merging.

These two constraints (at start and end) determine the duration of the ATV in free flight phasing.

To complete the description, a too-long period could put the ATV on a 'parking orbit' for a while (a stable position, not too far from the ISS, roughly 1000/3000 km behind or ahead of the Station), awaiting the right time slot to start the final rendezvous and docking manoeuvres.

So, for this mission number 4, ATV and Ariane teams are conducting a preparation campaign allowing launch from 5 June. The vehicle traffic around ISS and the ATV rendezvous constraints allow a docking not before 15 June. This is the explanation of the 10 days. Note that the parking option has not been chosen for this mission, as we have preferred a slower phasing approach.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1029.asp

Activity for the next two Ariane 5 missions is underway at the Spaceport

April 11, 2013 – Ariane Flights VA213 and VA214

Launcher components for the third Arianespace Ariane 5 mission of 2013 have been delivered to French Guiana, while payload preparations for this year's second heavy-lift flight have marked a new milestone at the Spaceport.
...
In parallel, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for Flight VA213 is undergoing fueling in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility. Flight VA213's Ariane 5 is set for launch on June 5, and will carry the fourth ATV to be orbited by Arianespace for the European Space Agency.

This latest ATV is named after Albert Einstein, and will weigh approximately 20 metric tons at launch. It is to carry some 6,270 kg. of fuel, water, air, oxygen and dry cargo to the International Space Station, wh ere the ATV also will serve to adjust the orbital facility's altitude and make maneuvers to avoid collisions with space debris.

The series of ATVs is built by an industry team led by Astrium, which also is the industrial prime contractor for Ariane 5.

Arianespace is responsible for launching all ATVs, and has orbited three of them to date: ATV Edoardo Amaldi in 2012, ATV Johannes Kepler in 2011 and ATV Jules Verne in 2008.


ATV Albert Einstein is "topped off" in the S5A fueling and integration hall of the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation building for its upcoming launch on Ariane Flight VA213.

[SFN]

Тара Астриума для Гиперголя

http://cs.astrium.eads.net/sp/services/propellants-handling/transport-containers/containers.html

[Salo]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/8655395116/in/photostream/

ATV-4 fuelling underway at CSG

A fuelling operator at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana inspects progress as ATV Albert Einstein is filled with propellant to take to the International Space Station.

Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs) can deliver up to 7 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station, including supplies and equipment, water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and fuel.

As the Space Station circles Earth, it slowly loses altitude so ATVs reboost the orbit to keep it aloft. Part of ATV's cargo includes propellants for the Station's own thrusters to keep the orbital outpost at the right height even when no spacecraft are there to offer a helping hand.

Loading the fuel is a complex and hazardous process that takes place over many days during continuous sessions of up to 30 hours. Should there be a leak, the operators are protected by 'scape suits' that deliver fresh air and are sealed off from the working environment, much like diving suits.

The operators must remain vigilant at all times, constantly checking progress and signs of leaks. To make matters more complicated, ATV own propellants are different to those used by the International Space Station itself, requiring different equipment each time.

Both fuels need separate oxidisers for combustion outside of Earth's atmosphere. The oxidisers are also loaded separately, meaning that four different liquids are being pumped into Albert Einstein's tanks in total.

For the operator in the picture, this could have been a start of a very long day.

Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG

[Salo]

http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2013/04/18/albert-einstein-mission-fact-sheet/

Albert Einstein mission fact sheet
Posted on 18 Apr 2013 by Daniel   

Fact sheet for the ATV Albert Einstein mission to the ISS. Lift off is planned for 5 June 2013.

ATV-4 will carry the most dry cargo ever launched in any European spacecraft (2501 kg) and the most diverse cargo mix of any ATV mission (1400 different items).

It will be the heaviest spacecraft ever lifted by any Ariane rocket (20 235 kg).

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1035.asp

Arianespace's launcher cadence continues with four missions being prepared for Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega

April 26, 2013 – Arianespace Flights VA214, VA213, VS05 and VV02

...
In parallel, another Ariane 5 is in the Spaceport's launcher Final Assembly Building, where it is awaiting the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Albert Einstein payload for a liftoff scheduled on June 5.  The ATV to be orbited on this mission – designated Arianespace Flight VA213 – is set to have a liftoff mass of 20,235 kg., becoming the heaviest spacecraft ever lofted by an Ariane 5.

[Space Alien]

Брошюрка про ATV-4 на русском языке 
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/HSO/Publications/ATV4-RU/