• ATV-5 “Georges Lemaître” leaves Astrium’s Bremen site for European spaceport in Kourou
• Astrium-built ATV is the world’s most sophisticated supply spacecraft for the ISS and the only one able to automatically dock with the ISS
• In addition to the production of the ATV supply spacecraft, Astrium is also responsible for carrying out operations on the European sections of the space station
The fifth and final European automated transfer vehicle (ATV) built by Astrium, called “Georges Lemaître”, is en route to the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
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As the systems leader of a European consortium, Astrium, Europe’s leading and the world’s second-ranking space company, was commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and also produce the ATV. In addition to the production of the ATV supply spacecraft, Astrium is also responsible for carrying out all the services related to the operation of the European sections of the International Space Station (ISS) under the ESA Exploitation Agreement. This includes mission preparation and execution, astronaut training, the on-going development of experiments and research facilities, the maintenance and logistics for all European ISS components and the ground stations, along with overseeing the communication system and data transfer.
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“The ATV is Europe’s modern and reliable space transporter, equipped with unique systems for automated and autonomous rendezvous and docking,” said Bart Reijnen, Head of Orbital Systems & Space Exploration at Astrium Space Transportation, on the departure of the ATV “Georges Lemaître”.
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“The technology, as well as the experience that Astrium has gained in the course of the development and production of the ATV, form an outstanding basis for the future, as our next challenge is to develop the European Service Module on behalf of ESA for the US “Orion” capsule,” continued Alain Charmeau, CEO of Astrium Space Transportation. “The spacecraft, with its crew of four or more astronauts, will be powered and supplied by an MPCV-ESM service module developed from the ATV. The decision by NASA to entrust a European manufacturer with such a vital element in the Orion programme clearly shows their confidence in the transatlantic partnership and in the capabilities of their European partners.”
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Like its predecessors, ATV-5 “Georges Lemaître” is being transported by ship in three special containers from Bremen to the European spaceport in Kourou. At the same time, around 80 sea containers full of test equipment are joining it on its journey. Final assembly of the spacecraft will be carried out at the Kourou spaceport, including the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), the solar panels and the Separation and Distancing Module (SDM) which forms the interface between the ATV and Ariane. The ATV will then undergo further extensive testing on site before being integrated as a payload into the fairing of an Ariane 5, then fuelled and connected. The launch of the “Georges Lemaître” is scheduled for June 2014.
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The ATV-4 “Albert Einstein” is currently a component of the International Space Station. As part of its mission the ATV-4 has performed regular re-boosting manoeuvres to maintain the ISS’s nominal orbit. ATV-4 Albert Einstein will be undocked from the space station at the end of October and will then burn up during a controlled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
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A typical mission sees the ATV bringing water, fuel, food and scientific equipment to the ISS. At the end of its mission, the ATV is loaded with waste and undocked from the ISS before de-orbiting. As well as regularly re-boosting the ISS back to its operational orbit at a height of about 400 km, the ATVs rocket motors are used to manoeuvre the ISS to avoid possible collisions with space debris.
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Weighing in at 20 metric tons, the ATV has a maximum net cargo capacity of up to 7 metric tons. The composition of this payload can vary depending on the mission: between 1.5 and 5.5 metric tons of freight and supplies (food, research instruments, tools, etc.), up to 840 kilogrammes of drinking water, up to 100 kilogrammes of gases (air, oxygen and nitrogen), up to four metric tons of fuel for orbit correction, and up to 860 kilogrammes of propellant to refuel the space station.
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Quelle: Astrium
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ATV-5 "Georges Lemaître" hat den Astrium-Standort Bremen verlassen und ist nun auf der Reise zum Europäischen Weltraumbahnhof nach Kourou
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„Georges Lemaître“, der fünfte und letzte von Astrium gebaute europäische Raumtransporter, ist auf dem Weg zum europäischen Weltraumbahnhof Kourou (Französisch-Guayana). Im Auftrag der Europäischen Weltraumorganisation ESA ist Astrium, Europas führendes Raumfahrtunternehmen und die Nummer zwei weltweit, als Systemführer eines europäischen Konsortiums für die Entwicklung wie auch die Produktion der ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) verantwortlich.
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Neben der Produktion der ATV-Versorgungstransporter führt Astrium im Rahmen des so genannten Exploitation-Vertrages die gesamten Dienstleistungen zum Betrieb der europäischen Anteile der Raumstation in verschiedenen Arbeitspaketen. Dazu zählen die Missionsvorbereitung und -durchführung, das Astronautentraining, die Weiterentwicklung von Experimenten und Forschungseinrichtungen, die Wartung und Logistik aller europäischen ISS-Elemente und der Bodenstationen sowie das Kommunikationssystem und der Datentransfer.
„ATV ist Europas moderner und zuverlässiger Raumfrachter, ausgerüstet mit einzigartigen Systemen für vollautomatische und autonome Annäherungs- und Andockmanöver“, sagte Bart Reijnen, Vice President Orbital Systems & Space Exploration von Astrium Space Transportation, anlässlich der Verschiffung von ATV "Georges Lemaître".
„Die Technologie und die Erfahrung, die Astrium bei der ATV-Entwicklung und –Produktion gesammelt hat, bilden eine herausragende Basis für die Zukunft“, ergänzte Alain Charmeau, CEO Astrium Space Transportation. „Denn unsere nächste Herausforderung ist die Entwicklung des europäischen Servicemoduls im Auftrag der ESA für die amerikanische "Orion"-Kapsel. Das Raumfahrzeug mit seiner Besatzung von vier oder mehr Astronauten wird dabei von einem vom ATV abgeleiteten Servicemodul MPCV-ESM angetrieben und versorgt. Die Entscheidung der NASA, ein derart wichtiges Element des Orion-Programms in europäische Hände zu legen, zeigt das klare Vertrauen in die transatlantische Partnerschaft und die Fähigkeiten der europäischen Partner.“
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Wie schon seine Vorgänger wird auch ATV-5 "Georges Lemaître" in drei Spezialcontainern per Schiff von Bremen zum europäischen Weltraumbahnhof in Kourou gebracht. Gleichzeitig gehen rund 80 Seecontainer mit Testausrüstung auf die Reise. Am Weltraumbahnhof Kourou werden schließlich das Raumfahrzeug, das Frachtmodul ICC, die Sonnenkollektoren und das SDM (Distanzmodul zwischen ATV und Ariane) endmontiert. Danach wird das ATV vor Ort nochmals umfangreichen Tests unterzogen, bevor es als Nutzlast in die Nutzlastverkleidung einer Ariane 5 integriert, aufgetankt und angeschlossen wird. Der Start von „Georges Lemaître“ ist für Juni 2014 vorgesehen.
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Derzeit ist das ATV-4 „Albert Einstein“ ein Bestandteil der Internationalen Raumstation. Im Rahmen der Mission wurde die Raumstation in regelmäßigen Abständen angeschoben (Re-boost-Manöver), um wieder den nominalen Orbit zu erreichen. ATV-4 Albert Einstein wird Ende Oktober von der Raumstation abdocken und kontrolliert in der Erdatmosphäre verglühen.
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Bei einer typischen Mission wird das ATV Wasser, Treibstoff, Lebensmittel sowie wissenschaftliche Ausrüstung zur ISS bringen. Zum Abschluss seiner Mission wird das ATV mit Abfällen beladen und von der Station abgetrennt, anschließend verglüht es beim kontrollierten Wiedereintritt in die Erdatmosphäre. Außerdem ist das ATV auch zuständig für die regelmäßige Bahnanhebung der ISS auf ihren Betriebsorbit in rund 400 Kilometern Höhe und für Manöver zur Vermeidung von Kollisionen mit Weltraummüll.
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Die maximale Nutzlastkapazität des 20 Tonnen schweren ATV liegt bei bis zu sieben Tonnen Nettofracht. Diese Ladung kann je nach Mission unterschiedlich aufgeteilt sein: 1,5 bis 5,5 Tonnen Fracht und Vorräte (Lebensmittel, Forschungsinstrumente, Werkzeug usw.), bis zu 840 Kilogramm Trinkwasser, bis zu 100 Kilogramm Gase (Luft, Sauerstoff und Stickstoff), bis zu vier Tonnen Kraftstoff für die Bahnhöhenkorrektur und bis zu 860 Kilogramm Treibstoff zum Auftanken der Station.
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Quelle: Astrium Bremen
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Update: 24.10.2013
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Frams: ESA-Video von Bremen
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Quelle: ESA
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Update: 1.11.2013
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Europe’s fifth ATV for launch by Arianespace begins its pre-flight checkout at the Spaceport
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In the Spaceport’s S5C high bay, ATV Georges Lemaître’s Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) emerges from its specialized shipping container, which is adorned with artwork depicting the Ariane 5 flight with this spacecraft, as well as the resupply vehicle’s namesake. In a view of the ICC’s aft section, the shapes’ of six large tanks in the module’s Equipped External Bay are visible.
Ariane 5 Flight
The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) “Georges Lemaître” has begun preflight checkout in the Spaceport’s clean room facilities, following its arrival in French Guiana for a scheduled Ariane 5 flight next year.
As the fifth and final ATV to be launched by Arianespace under current arrangements with the European Space Agency, this spacecraft’s Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) has now been removed from its special shipping container in the S5C preparation hall.
The ICC makes up 60 percent of the Automated Transfer Vehicle’s total volume, with the capacity of ferrying up to 6.6 metric tons of cargo – both dry and fluid – on the spacecraft’s servicing mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Incorporating a two-part design, the Integrated Cargo Carrier includes a pressurized module for docking to the space station, where all dry materials are contained. Up to two ISS astronauts can access this section while the spacecraft is attached to the orbital facility, working to unload supplies or conduct experiments. Fluid cargo – such as propellant for refueling of the International Space Station – is stored in the ICC’s non-pressurized area and transferred to the space station through pipes or manually operated hoses.
Prior to Georges Lemaître’s ESA-targeted launch date in 2014, final assembly of the spacecraft will be carried out at the Spaceport, including the Integrated Cargo Carrier, the Service Module solar panels and the Separation and Distancing Module (SDM) that links the ATV to its Ariane 5 vehicle.
Designated Georges Lemaître after the Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory, the fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle will resupply the International Space Station, as well as perform maneuvers to maintain this manned facility’s nominal orbit.
An Astrium-led industry consortium is responsible for producing this series of resupply spacecraft under the European Space Agency-managed program.
To date all four Automated Transfer Vehicles have been orbited by Ariane 5 ES launchers, beginning with “Jules Verne” in March 2008, which was followed by “Johannes Kepler” in February 2011, “Edoardo Amaldi” in March 2012, and this June’s flight with “Albert Einstein.”
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The Integrated Cargo Carrier’s front cone (pictured above) contains the docking system, which allows for physical, electrical and propellant connections with the International Space Station, in addition to crewmember access through its 80 cm.-diameter hatch when connected to the orbital facility.
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Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 6.11.2013
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Pre-flight checkout continues for the next ATV to be launched by Ariane 5
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ATV Georges Lemaître’s Service Module is readied for checkout and processing in the Spaceport’s S5C preparation hall. This component of the European resupply spacecraft ultimately will be mated with the ATV’s Integrated Cargo Carrier, which is visible in the background.
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November 5, 2013 – Ariane 5 flight with ATV Georges Lemaître
The preparation campaign for Europe’s fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is now in full swing at the Spaceport, where pre-flight checkout has commenced for the large cargo resupply spacecraft’s Service Module.
This major component – which includes propulsion systems, electrical power, computers, communications and avionics – was unloaded from its special shipping container and positioned for processing inside the Spaceport’s S5C preparation hall, joining the ATV’s Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) element that began its own checkout last week.
Four silicon-based solar arrays are outfitted on the Service Module, designed to unfold in orbit and reach a 22.3-meter span to provide electrical power for rechargeable batteries. These arrays – which can produce an average of 4,800 Watts – are totally independent from one another and can get the best orientation to the Sun due to rotating mechanisms.
The Service Module is to be mated with the Integrated Cargo Carrier during upcoming activity at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, forming the complete ATV spacecraft – which will be mounted on Ariane 5 using a cylindrical Separation and Distancing Module (SDM) that forms the interface between this resupply spacecraft and its launcher.
The ATV program, managed by the European Space Agency, is part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s creation and operation. Astrium of the EADS group is the ATV’s prime contractor, leading a European industry team.
Named after Belgian physicist Georges Lemaître, this latest Automated Transfer Vehicle is planned by ESA for launch from the Spaceport in 2014 with Arianespace’s Ariane 5 ES version, which has been utilized for all ATV missions to date: “Jules Verne” in March 2008, “Johannes Kepler” in February 2011, “Edoardo Amaldi” in March 2012 and this past June’s successful flight with “Albert Einstein.”
In Arianespace’s current mission activity, the company’s next Ariane 5 liftoff – its fifth in 2013 – is scheduled for December 6 from French Guiana, carrying a dual-passenger payload of SES’ ASTRA 5B and the Amazonas 4A satellite for HISPASAT.
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Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 18.03.2014
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ATV-5 SET TO TEST NEW RENDEZVOUS SENSORS
ESA’s space freighter ATV Georges Lemaître, set for launch this summer,will test new rendezvous sensors in space as it approaches the International Space Station.
ESA has set its sights on allowing future spacecraft to rendezvous with ‘uncooperative’ targets, such as orbiting debris or a Mars sample capsule.
The LIRIS demonstrator – short for Laser InfraRed Imaging Sensors – on the last Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV, is the first step towards an uncooperative rendezvous in space.
On future missions, infrared cameras and lidar sensors – the light equivalent of radar – would scan the targets while onboard computers processed the data using new guidance navigation and control software.
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Simulated view of Space Station
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At 30 km from the target, infrared cameras would be used before lidar took over from 3.5 km out to docking.
Since the first ATV was launched in 2008 they have docked flawlessly with the Space Station using satellite navigation at long range and optical sensors close in, bouncing light off reflectors on the orbital outpost.
ESA contractors Airbus Defence and Space, with Sodern and Jena-Optronik, proposed using ATV-5 to demonstrate the new approach for future projects. The infrared camera has been provided by French company Sodern, with German-based Jena-Optronik supplying the lidar.
ATV-5 is the last in the series to deliver supplies to the Station and its mission offers a unique opportunity to space-test LIRIS for comparison with the operational navigation sensors. Recorders inside ATV’s pressurised cargo bay will store the data for later download and analysis.
The hardware is now being installed on ATV at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
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Quelle: ESA
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Update: 24.04.2014
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Launcher build-up begins for Arianespace's fifth Ariane 5 mission to orbit an Automated Transfer Vehicle
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In the two photos at left, Ariane 5’s core cryogenic stage is raised for its positioning over the mobile launch table inside the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building
Ariane Flight VA219
The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s fifth flight to service the International Space Station is now being assembled in French Guiana, preparing the launcher for its 2014 mission with another European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo resupply vessel.
Build-up procedures commenced this week in the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building with positioning of the core cryogenic stage over its mobile launch table, then the subsequent rollout of Ariane 5’s two large solid rocket boosters for mating with the core stage.
This activity is to be followed by integration of the EPS storable propellant upper stage and vehicle equipment bay, which will complete the basic assembly for the Ariane 5 ES version used on all missions with ATVs.
The ATV program – managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) – is part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation. Prime contractor is Airbus Defence and Space, which also is the industrial architect for Ariane 5.
All ATVs have been orbited by Ariane 5 launchers, beginning with “Jules Verne” in March 2008, which was followed by “Johannes Kepler” in February 2011, “Edoardo Amaldi” in March 2012, and last June’s flight with “Albert Einstein.”
The fifth ATV, and final in the series, is designated “Georges Lemaître” after the Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory, and it will resupply the International Space Station, in addition to performing maneuvers that maintain this manned facility’s nominal orbit and testing new rendezvous sensors in space.
ATV Georges Lemaître currently is located at the Spaceport, where its cargo loading began earlier this month.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 4.05.2014
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Parallel Ariane 5 and Soyuz mission campaigns keep Arianespace on track for a record year of launches
In the two photost, the ring-shaped vehicle equipment bay and EPS upper stage for Flight VA219 are hoisted inside the Launcher Integration Building for installation atop the heavy-lift Ariane 5. The vehicle equipment bay nears its launcher in the second photo, followed by the EPS upper stage being lowered for integration.
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The Spaceport is busy with launch campaign activity in support of Arianespace’s record 2014 mission pace, with parallel preparations now underway for three heavy-lift Ariane 5 flights, as well as another with the medium-lift Soyuz; all to be conducted from French Guiana.
With the activity underway – and the four launches already performed since January, using its complete family of the heavyweight Ariane 5, medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega – Arianespace is on track to perform 12 missions during the year from the Spaceport, setting a new operational record that would surpass its 10 flights in 2010.
Flight VA219 is to loft the fifth, and final, European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for servicing of the International Space Station. Ariane 5’s EPS upper stage is designed to be reignited during flight, a capability required in the mission profile to deliver this ATV resupply craft – named Georges Lemaître after the Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory – for its space station rendezvous.
Once this Ariane 5 has been processed in the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building, it will be delivered to Arianespace for installation of ATV Georges Lemaître and the final operations leading to launch.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 11.05.2014
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Europe's final Automated Transfer Vehicle is assembled for its Arianespace Ariane 5 launch in 2014
After completion of its initial cargo loading process in the Spaceport’s S5C facility, the ATV Integrated Cargo Carrier’s large aft opening is sealed (photo at left). This element was then mated with the Service Module to form the completed Automated Transfer Vehicle (at right).
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The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for Arianespace’s next resupply mission to the International Space Station is standing tall at the Spaceport as preparations continue for its heavy-lift Ariane 5 launch on Flight VA219.
This week’s activity in French Guiana included stacking of the ATV’s two primary components – its Integrated Cargo Carrier and the Service Module – completing the build-up process and readying the resupply spacecraft for final checkout ahead of its subsequent integration on Ariane 5.
With these two elements now mated, the Automated Transfer Vehicle is at its full overall height of 10.7 meters. The ATV’s mating followed completion of the first phase of cargo loading into the Integrated Cargo Carrier, which took place in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility.
This fifth and final European ATV – designated Georges Lemaître after the Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory – is to resupply the International Space Station, as well as perform maneuvers to maintain the facility’s nominal orbit and test new rendezvous sensors in space. In addition to the fuel and air it will carry to the crewed space station, ATV Georges Lemaître will deliver more than 2,600 kg. of dry cargo.
The ATV program is part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation, and is managed by the European Space Agency. Prime contractor is Airbus Defence and Space, which leads a European industry team. Airbus Defence and Space also is industrial architect for the Ariane 5.
Arianespace will loft ATV Georges Lemaître as part of its record manifest planned in 2014. This mission is designated Flight VA219 in the company’s numbering system, signifying what will be the 219th launch of an Ariane 5 family vehicle.
All ATVs have been orbited by Ariane 5 launchers, beginning with “Jules Verne” in March 2008, and followed by “Johannes Kepler” in February 2011, the “Edoardo Amaldi” in March 2012, and last June’s flight with “Albert Einstein.”
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 8.06.2014
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The Ariane 5 for ATV Georges Lemaître is transferred to Arianespace in the Final Assembly Building
In this photo, taken from the roof of Arianespace’s Galilee operations building at the Spaceport, Flight VA219’s Ariane 5 is transferred from the Launcher Integration Building (in foreground) to the Final Assembly Building, following a U-shaped rail link from one facility to the other.
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Ariane Flight VA219
Arianespace has taken delivery of the Ariane 5 for its launch of Europe’s fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) following the heavy-lift workhorse’s roll-out today from the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building to its Final Assembly Building in French Guiana.
This transfer from industrial prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space to Arianespace followed completion of the Ariane 5’s initial build-up in the Launcher Integration Building. The Ariane 5 ES version – tailored for low-Earth orbit missions, including the ATV – was moved atop its mobile launch table via the Spaceport’s dual track rail line during the transfer process.
Ariane 5’s Flight VA219 will loft Europe’s final ATV spacecraft – named Georges Lemaître after the Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory – to resupply the International Space Station. ATV Georges Lemaître is to deliver fuel, air and more than 2,600 kg. of dry cargo to the manned orbital facility, as well as perform maneuvers to maintain the station’s nominal orbit and test new rendezvous sensors in space.
Managed by the European Space Agency, the ATV program is part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation. Leading a European industry team, Airbus Defence and Space – which also has the role as Ariane 5’s industrial architect – is prime contractor for the Automated Transfer Vehicle.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 28.06.2014
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Ariane 5 launcher integration is on the horizon for ATV Georges Lemaître
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ATV Georges Lemaître is prepared for launcher integration in the photos above, beginning with its transfer from the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility – where the resupply spacecraft was fueled – to the Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building. The center photo shows this fifth, and final, Automated Transfer Vehicle for Europe entering the Final Assembly Building. At right, the spacecraft is lowered onto a support structure prior to its encapsulation in the Ariane 5’s payload fairing.
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Ariane Flight VA219
Europe’s fifth, and final, Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for servicing of the International Space Station is ready for integration on its Ariane 5 launcher as preparations continue for this Arianespace mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana during the second half of July.
The ATV – named Georges Lemaître after the Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory – currently is located in the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building, where it will be mated with Ariane 5. The spacecraft was delivered to the state-of-the-art facility earlier this week after completing its fueling process in the separate S5 payload preparation building.
In addition to resupplying the International Space Station with air, fuel and dry cargo, ATV Georges Lemaître will perform maneuvers to maintain the crewed facility’s nominal orbit and test new rendezvous sensors in space.
The ATV program is part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation, and is managed by the European Space Agency. Prime contractor is Airbus Defence and Space, which leads a European industry team. Airbus Defence and Space also is industrial architect for the Ariane 5.
Arianespace’s latest ATV mission in support of International Space Station operations is designated Flight VA219 in the company’s numbering system, and will utilize an Ariane 5 ES version of the heavy-lift workhorse – underscoring its flexibility in meeting a full range of mission requirements.
All ATVs have been orbited by Ariane 5 launchers, beginning with “Jules Verne” in March 2008, and followed by “Johannes Kepler” in February 2011, the “Edoardo Amaldi” in March 2012, and last June’s flight with “Albert Einstein.”
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Arianespace Flight VA219 Ariane 5ES - ATV-5 « Georges Lemaître »: Launch set for the night of Thursday, July 24 to Friday, July 25, 2014
Evry, June 26, 2014
The operations on the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) “Georges Lemaître” and on the Ariane 5ES launch vehicle are proceeding nominally, enabling Arianespace in agreement with ESA to announce the VA219 launch date.
Liftoff of the Ariane 5ES launcher is set for the night of Thursday, July 24 to Friday, July 25, 2014 at precisely:
10:41:04 pm (local time in French Guiana) on July 24, 2014
09:41:04 pm (Washington, D.C.)
01:41:04 am (UTC) on July 25, 2014
03:41:04 am (Paris)
05:41:04 am (Moscow)
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 6.07.2014
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ATV Georges Lemaître receives its final cargo after integration on Ariane 5
The latest preparations for Arianespace Flight VA219 are captured in the photos above, beginning with ATV Georges Lemaître’s integration on its heavy-lift Ariane 5 launcher inside the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building. At right, the ATV’s final cargo is loaded this week by a team member, using a hoist system through the spacecraft’s top hatch.
Europe’s fifth, and final, Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is now integrated with its Ariane 5 launcher, enabling final cargo loading in preparation for Arianespace’s July 24 mission from French Guiana.
The Automated Transfer Vehicle is named after Belgian physicist and father of the Big Bang theory, Georges Lemaître, and it will deliver fuel, air and more than 2,600 kg. of dry cargo to the International Space Station. In addition, this ATV resupply spacecraft will perform maneuvers to maintain the facility’s nominal orbit, as well as test new rendezvous sensors in space.
Using a hoist system set-up in Ariane 5’s Final Assembly Building at the Spaceport, the remaining cargo is being loaded through the ATV’s top hatch, carefully securing these bags supplied by the European, U.S. and Japanese space agencies.
The ATV program – managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) – is part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation. Prime contractor is Airbus Defence and Space, which also is the industrial architect for Ariane 5.
All ATVs have been orbited by Ariane 5 launchers, beginning with “Jules Verne” in March 2008, which was followed by “Johannes Kepler” in February 2011, “Edoardo Amaldi” in March 2012, and the June 2013 flight with “Albert Einstein.”
Arianespace’s latest ATV mission in support of International Space Station operations is designated Flight VA219 in the company’s numbering system, and will utilize an Ariane 5 ES version of the heavy-lift workhorse.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 19.07.2014
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Feuriges Ende von ATV-5 wird von innen gesehen werden
Artist’s view of ATV-5’s destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
ESA’s fifth and last Automated Transfer Vehicle,Georges Lemaître, will be launched on an Ariane 5 this summer from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.
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As ESA’s remaining supply ferry to the International Space Station burns up in the atmosphere, its final moments as its hull disintegrates will be recorded from the inside by a unique infrared camera.
An ESA-led team designed and developed the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Break-Up Camera in just nine months in order to make it on board in time.
Working at breakneck pace, the team designed, built and tested both the camera and the Reentry SatCom capsule to work like an aircraft-style ’black box’ to store images, then transmit them to Earth after the vessel’s break-up via an Iridium satellite link.
ESA’s BUC camera will join Japan’s i-Ball optical camera and NASA’s Re-entry Break-up Recorder to give as full a picture as possible of the conditions inside the vehicle as it breaks up.
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The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Break-Up Camera (BUC) incorporating the Infrared Camera instrument and SatCom device to be flown on ESA's final ATV, to record infrared footage from the inside of the spacecraft's break-up as it reenters the atmosphere. The camera is bolted onto an ATV panel; the infrared lens can be seen at the centre of the image. The 20 seconds of footage gathered by the BUC will be transmitted to the spherical SatCom device, right, which is coated in a ceramic heatshield. SatCom will survive the spacecraft’s break-up to transmit the imagery to Iridium telecommunications satellite once it is in free space, falling to Earth.
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“These different instruments will complement each other,” explains Neil Murray, leading the project for ESA.
NASA has flown similar experiments before with its recorder, while JAXA’s i-Ball gathered photos during the reentry of their supply ship in 2012.
For ESA, this is something new, however. The challenge has been to design a capsule to survive the 1500ºC reentry and transmit useful data to the ground no matter its altitude or orientation.
It also needs to overcome the blackout effect of the blowtorch-like ‘plasma’ of electrically charged gases enveloping reentering objects.
The infrared camera, bolted to an ATV rack, will burn up with the rest of the spacecraft, but imagery of the final 20 seconds will be passed to the Reentry SatCom, a spherical capsule protected by a ceramic heatshield.
“The Reentry SatCom has an antenna, so that once ATV breaks up it begins transmitting the data to any Iridium communication satellites in line of sight,” adds Neil.
“The break-up will occur at about 80–70 km altitude, leaving the SatCom falling at 6–7 km/s. The fall will generate high-temperature plasma around it, but signals from its omnidirectional antenna should be able to make it through any gap in the plasma to the rear.
“Additionally, signalling will continue after the atmospheric drag has decelerated the SatCom to levels where a plasma is no longer formed – somewhere below 40 km – at a point where Iridium satellites should become visible to it regardless.”
The latest and last of ESA’s five automated space freighters, Georges Lemaître is being prepared for launch by Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Once in orbit, the ferry will dock to the Station to deliver more than six tonnes of propellant, supplies and experiments to the orbital outpost.
Then, after some six months as part of the Station, it will deliberately reenter over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean to burn up harmlessly.
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Image taken by the i-Ball camera at about 80 km altitude showing the reentry break-up of Japan's HTV spacecraft used for International Space Station resupply in September 2012. The same camera is flying on ESA’s final ATV spacecraft, due to reenter the atmosphere in early 2015.
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Arianespace Flight VA219: Launch delayed
In order to proceed with complementary verifications on the Ariane 5 ES launch system, Arianespace has decided to delay the VA219 launch for a few days. This mission with ATV 5 “Georges Lemaître” had been scheduled for July 24..
Quelle: ESA
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Update: 23.07.2014
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Arianespace Flight VA219; Ariane 5 ES – ATV 5: Launch scheduled for Tuesday, July 29
Evry, France, July 22, 2014
With the completion of complimentary verifications and control measures associated with the Ariane 5 ES launcher, Arianespace has set the date for its Flight VA219 mission for Tuesday, July 29.
Liftoff of the launch vehicle is now scheduled at:
20:44:03, local time in Kourou, French Guiana on July 29,
19:44:03 in Washington D.C. on July 29,
23:44:03 UTC on July 29,
01:44:03 in Paris on July 30, and
03:44:03 in Moscow on July 30
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 24.07.2014
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ATV-5: LOADED AND LOCKED
ESA’s fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle is now scheduled for launch to the International Space Station at 23:44 GMT on 29 July (01:44 CEST 30 July) on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
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ATV-5 will deliver more than six tonnes of cargo to the Station, again breaking the record for the heaviest spacecraft launched on Ariane. Everything has been loaded and the ferry is now sealed until it reaches the orbital outpost.
ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst will be the first to open the hatch of ATV Georges Lemaître in space when he takes responsibility for the cargo as ‘loadmaster’.
Alexander will manage the unloading of 6.6 tonnes of experiments, spare parts, clothing, food, fuel, air, oxygen and water for the six astronauts living in the weightless laboratory.
Cargo for science
The star of the manifest is ESA’s Electromagnetic Levitator, which will study metals suspended in weightlessness as it heats them to 1600°C and then allows them to cool. The 400 kg unit was carefully loaded into ATV-5 in Kourou before the vessel’s propulsion module was attached.
ATV’s two main sections were then mated, leaving access to the cargo hold only through the forward hatch used by the astronauts. A special lift allowed technicians to enter the hold from above through this hatch, weeks before final closing time. Fifty-seven bags were loaded this way, including last-minute spare parts such as a pump to help recycle water on the Station.
Since the Station does not have a washing machine, cargo ships often bring fresh changes of clothes for the crews. This time, ATV-5 is also carrying high-tech ESA Spacetex t-shirts that promise to stay fresher for longer.
Also aboard is the Haptics-1 touchy-feely joystick, which will investigate how people feel tactile feedback in space, preparing for remote robotic operations from orbit.
Cargo for live
Georges Lemaître is carrying many more experiments from Station partners in Japan and USA, from Zebrafish muscles to body-motion analysers, and even the mundane equipment any self-respecting laboratory stocks such as gloves, wipes, blood tubes and sample kits.
ATV-5 will also deliver more drinking water than ever before, as well as replenishing the astronauts’ food store.
Alexander and his crewmates will spend many hours unloading the cargo, but there is no rush – Georges Lemaître will stay attached to the Station for around six months.
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The red protective cover is in place over the hatch of ESA’s fifth and last Automated Transfer Vehicle,Georges Lemaître.
ATV-5 will deliver more than 2600 kg of dry cargo to the International Space Station. Its launch is set for summer 2014 on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
