Updates ESA's ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi"

[Orbinaut Pete]

Parts of ATV Edoardo Amaldi coming together.

While ESA's second Automated Transfer Vehicle, Johannes Kepler, is undergoing final launch preparations, its successor, ATV Edoardo Amaldi, is shaping up in Bremen. The launch of Europe’s third space ferry is planned for February 2012.

The three main parts of ATV-3 arrived at the premises of EADS Astrium in Bremen, Germany, in December. The vehicle is now waiting to be assembled at the end of January.

The Integrated Cargo Carrier, built by Thales Alenia Space Italy, was transported by a voluminous Beluga aircraft from Turin airport just before Christmas.

This module represents about 60% of the total ATV volume and will hold all the liquid and dry cargo, totalling up to 7.5 tonnes.

Europe-wide engineering expertise

The Equipped Propulsion Bay, containing the rocket engines and propellant tanks, was built on site in Bremen. The Equipped Avionics Bay – ATV's 'brain' – was delivered from Toulouse, France, after thermal vacuum testing.

As the computers in the avionics bay generate a lot of heat, the thermal control system of this section is particularly sophisticated – and vital for ATV's success.

These two modules will be combined at the end of the month into their final configuration for launch. Later in the spring, the cargo carrier will be electrically connected with them for final testing.

ATV-3 will be shipped to the launch site, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in September for dispatch to the ISS in February 2012.

Mass-producing the cargo craft

The newest ATV, named after a leading figure in Italian space science last century, will be the first to be processed and launched within the target cadence of one ATV per year.

Construction of the following ATVs is also on schedule to keep up the tempo.

"The main challenges of Edoardo Amaldi will be not only to perform its very complex mission as successfully as its predecessors, but also to prepare it within a much shorter interval since the previous one," says Massimo Cislaghi, ESA’s ATV-3 Mission Manager.

"This implies, for instance, that any technical information from the Johannes Kepler mission will become available only when the Edoardo Amaldi preparations are already at a very advanced stage."

So far, the only differences between the two spacecraft are the name and the cargo manifest.

The launch by the end of February 2012 will be, "vital for space station logistics, especially at a time when the operational life of the US Space Shuttle will have come to an end, and its replacement might not yet be ready," comments Massimo.

After being happily mated in Bremen for system integration and testing, the parts will then be separated. Their next destination is French Guiana, where all the pieces will be reassembled and tested again before the vessel's voyage into space.

 

[Scruce]

The newest ATV, named after a leading figure in Italian space science last century, will be the first to be processed and launched within the target cadence of one ATV per year.

Construction of the following ATVs is also on schedule to keep up the tempo.

the ATV could end up like the Soyuz TMA-M and become a vital part of the International Space Station and future stations. The ATV could even become a station itself.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Dumb question, but I'm not sure where to ask...
Are there still plans to for the ATV to eventually become a Crew Transfer Vehicle? I've heard about it for a while, but nothing recent.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Dumb question, but I'm not sure where to ask...
Are there still plans to for the ATV to eventually become a Crew Transfer Vehicle? I've heard about it for a while, but nothing recent.

Yes, that plan is still being discussed.

See this thread for updates.

This is the most recent update.

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now:

• Cargo freighter ends flight, third ATV set for 2012 launch:

  {...}
  
  The Edoardo Amaldi spacecraft is undergoing final assembly and systems testing at an EADS Astrium facility in Bremen, Germany.
  
  "It will be shipped at the beginning of August," said Wolfgang Paetsch, head of the ATV program at EADS Astrium. "So in the next few weeks, we have quite a lot to do, but we're on track. We're very optimistic we will make it, and we are well-observed by a lot of people. And we think we can deliver in time and with good quality as we did for ATV 2."
  
  Unlike most satellites, the cargo freighters do not go through extensive shake and thermal testing to ensure they will survive the flight. Some individual components and systems go through such testing, but engineers are confident the ATV spacecraft is qualified to fly in space.
  
  Both ATV missions thus far have performed with almost no faults.
  
  The Edoardo Amaldi mission will carry more supplies than its predecessors in the ship's pressurized integrated cargo carrier module. It will also ferry oxygen, water and refueling propellant to the space station.
  
  Engineers conduct the systems testing at the German factory with the spacecraft in a "soft-mate" configuration, in which the ATV's cargo module is wired to the vehicle's propulsion and service module with cables and plumbing. That's enough to complete the necessary testing, and the ATV's central components won't be physically attached until they are at the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.
  
  Once the testing is finished, workers will load the ATV on a ship to sail to the mission's South America launch site. Liftoff is scheduled for February.
  
  {...}

• Behind the scenes inside the ATV factory
  
  
  

  
  
  The ATV integrated cargo carrier, provided by Thales Alenia Space of Italy, sits in a final assembly and test portal in a clean room at EADS Astrium in Bremen, Germany.
  Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Technicians work inside the pressurized cabin of the ATV's cargo carrier.
  Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
  
  
  

  

  
  
  Workers load a cargo rack into the ATV.
  Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
  
  
  

  

  
  
  One of the cargo ship's four main engines mounted to the aft cone of the service module. Built by Aerojet, the engines each generate about 110 pounds of thrust and are used for major orbit maneuvers to reach the space station and return to Earth.
  Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
  
  
  

  

  
  
  This image, taken inside the ATV's propulsion module, show the spacecraft's propellant tanks and the maze of plumbing to go along with it.
  Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
  
  
  

  

  
  
  The Ariane 5 upper stage for the third ATV mission is complete and awaiting shipment to the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The mission will employ a version of the stage burning storable propellant.
  Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now​

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Astrium ships ATV “Edoardo Amaldi”

“Edoardo Amaldi”, the third European cargo spacecraft for the International Space Station (ISS), is on its way to the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) has undergone extensive system testing at Astrium’s Bremen site over the last few months and has now been given the go-ahead for the final stage prior to the cargo spacecraft’s flight to the ISS.

“Edoardo Amaldi” is slated for launch in the spring of 2012. On behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), Astrium is responsible for both development and production of the ATV. The production of ATV units two to five – as well as mission preparation and operations support – is covered by the “Exploitation” contract, which governs the operation and provisioning of the European components of the ISS. Astrium is responsible for carrying out these activities on ESA’s behalf.

“Edoardo Amaldi” is the second production unit, following on from the highly successful first flight model “Jules Verne” and the first production unit “Johannes Kepler”. Astrium has orders for a total of four ATV production units from ESA – a testimony to the high reliability Astrium has shown as ESA’s prime contractor for the development of ATV and also of Columbus.

“The extension of the ISS mission until 2020 presents Astrium with further opportunities in regard to both the supply and the operation of the ISS,” explained Dr. Michael Menking, Astrium’s Senior Vice President of Orbital Systems and Exploration, speaking as the ATV set off from Bremen on Thursday. He also confirmed that production of the ATV units is currently running according to schedule: “Edoardo Amaldi” is on its way to Kourou, and ATV 4 “Albert Einstein” has reached the integration stage in Bremen. Menking added that delivery of the first batch of structures for ATV 5 is imminent, which will enable integration work to begin soon.

ATV must comply with the safety requirements for human spaceflight. Thus ATV’s digital and electronic architecture features double and triple redundancies. A fault-tolerant computer – consisting of three computer modules – ensures the reliable and smooth execution of the ATV mission.

“With the retirement of the US Space Shuttle, ATV is the largest vehicle supplying the ISS. Considering its technological challenges, like automatic rendezvous and docking, ATV is the most sophisticated space vehicle ever built in Europe,” said Menking.

“Edoardo Amaldi” will be shipped to the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in three special containers, accompanied by some 45 sea containers taking care of test equipment. At Kourou’s spaceport, final assembly will be performed on the spacecraft, Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), solar panels and the Separation and Distancing Module (SDM), which forms the interface between ATV and the Ariane 5 launcher. The ATV will then be subjected to further extensive tests on site before being fuelled, loaded and integrated as a payload on an Ariane 5. “According to our schedule planning, we will be ready for launch for this third mission to the ISS in the spring of 2012,” Menking added. The other ATVs are being produced at a rate of one per year.

ATV is Europe’s contribution to supplying the ISS. On a typical mission, ATV carries water, gases, fuel, food and scientific equipment to the ISS. Once its mission is over, ATV is loaded with waste, undocked from the ISS and burns up during a controlled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. ATV is also responsible for regularly boosting the ISS to its operational orbit of around 400 km, performing attitude control for the ISS, and carrying out manoeuvres to avoid collisions with space debris.

Weighing in at 20 metric tons, ATV has a maximum net cargo capacity of up to 7 metric tons. The composition of this payload can vary depending on the mission: 1.5 to 5.5 metric tons of freight and supplies (food, research instruments, tools, etc.), up to 840 kilograms of drinking water, up to 100 kilograms of gases (air, oxygen and nitrogen), up to 4.6 metric tons of fuel for orbit correction and attitude control, and up to 860 kilograms of propellant to refuel the space station.

 

[orb]

ESA:
ATV Edoardo Amaldi arrives in Kourou

26 August 2011

ATV-3, Europe’s next unmanned cargo carrier to the International Space Station, has completed its first long voyage – sailing across the Atlantic. It is now at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana to be prepared for launch early next year.

Click on image to enlarge​

ATV-3 containers being offloaded in Kourou harbour from the French cargo ship MN Toucan on 25 August 2011.

Credits: ESA​

With only a few months since the end of the ATV-2 mission, the ESA teams in Europe and Kourou are getting into high gear with the next craft: ATV Edoardo Amaldi.

Click on image to enlarge​

ATV-3 hatch seen from inside during the review in July 2011.

Credits: ESA​

Involving some 2000 highly skilled engineers across Europe, ATV-3 was reviewed and qualified in July by the ESA and EADS teams in Bremen, Germany for shipping to Kourou.

The review is of importance because, once the ATV is in Kourou, any major changes may affect the schedule.

Click on image to enlarge​

ATV-3 containers on the cargo deck of the French cargo ship MN Toucan during the 13-day voyage from Bremerhaven to Kourou.

Credits: ESA​

MN Toucan, a French cargo ship used normally by Arianespace to transport Ariane rocket elements, steamed from Bremerhaven on 6 August.

After sailing across the Atlantic for 13 days, it arrived early this week to hold position near Devil’s Island off the coast of French Guiana to wait for a favourable tide.

Click on image to enlarge​

French cargo ship MN Toucan leaving Bremerhaven on 12 August with ATV-3.

Credits: ESA​

Yesterday, the ship docked in Kourou harbour and unloading began.

Shipped in sections in several hermetically sealed containers, ATV-3 will be reassembled and tested before cargo will be inserted and it is fuelled for its mission.

The launch campaign is scripted in great detail and spans 180 working days.

According to current planning, Edoardo Amaldi will carry about two tonnes of dry cargo, 285 kg of water and more than three tonnes of propellants.

ATV is the biggest cargo carrier servicing the Space Station and a vital element of ISS logistics.

 

[N_Molson]

Hold on ISS, reinforcements are on the way !

 

[orb]

Arianespace: Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle begins its preparations for launch on Ariane 5

Click on image to enlarge​

The ATV Edoardo Amaldi’s two major components are shown during initial checkout activity in the S5C preparation hall: the Service Module, in the foreground; and the Integrated Cargo Carrier in the background.

 

[garyw]

ESA have uploaded quite a few ATV-3 construction photos here.

 

[orb]

Arianespace: Launcher build-up begins for Arianespace's third Ariane 5 mission to orbit an Automated Transfer Vehicle

 

[orb]

Arianespace: An assembly milestone is reached with the Ariane 5 that will orbit Europe's next ATV

 

[ky]

ESA: ATV-3 fueling gets underway

 

[Notebook]

http://www.esa.int/esaHS/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.

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.

N.

 

[orb]

Arianespace: Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle is integrated on Ariane 5

 

[orb]

ESA: SpaceTweetup to highlight ATV mission:

20 February 2012

ESA and the French space agency, CNES, are inviting 60 Twitter followers to a joint European SpaceTweetup in Toulouse, France, for the docking of ATV Edoardo Amaldi to the International Space Station next month.

A Tweetup is an informal, educational gathering of people who use the Twitter social messaging medium. This one is open to anyone who follows an ESA or CNES Twitter account.

The joint SpaceTweetup is an opportunity to learn more about the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) series of missions to the Space Station, how astronauts work with ATV and the vessels' vital roles in supporting research on the orbital outpost.

The Tweetup will take place at the CNES Toulouse Space Centre overnight during the docking of ATV-3, Edoardo Amaldi, set for 19 March at 04:05 CET. ATV missions are operated from the centre by a joint ESA/CNES team.

{...}

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Mission Status Center:

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2012Technicians lowered the Ariane 5 launcher's aerodynamic nose cone atop Europe's next space station resupply freighter Monday, enclosing seven tons of cargo for liftoff from French Guiana scheduled for March 9.

{...}

 

[orb]

ESA:
ATV-3 set to provide ESA’s annual service to Space Station

29 February 2012

PR 5 2012 - ESA’s third Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo ferry, Edoardo Amaldi, is ready for launch on an Ariane 5 to the International Space Station on 9 March from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The liftoff at 10:05 GMT (11:05 CET) will be covered live from Kourou for broadcasters and on the web, and followed at launch events around Europe.

ATV Edoardo Amaldi follows the two highly successful supply missions carried out by ATV Jules Verne in March 2008 and ATV Johannes Kepler in February 2011.

ATV-3 is named after the Italian physicist and spaceflight pioneer Edoardo Amaldi. A founding father of the European Space Research Organisation – precursor of ESA – and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Amaldi is famous for being part of the group that discovered slow neutrons.

This third vessel in the ATV series is the first to have been processed and launched within the target rate of one per year.

This marks the start of ATV as an annual production-line supply vehicle for the Space Station, positioning Europe as an essential partner in operating the orbital outpost.

The next ATVs, Albert Einstein and Georges Lemaître, will follow in 2013 and 2014.

The spaceship will deliver essential supplies and propellant as well as reboost the Station’s altitude.

At more than 20 tonnes, the highly sophisticated spacecraft is the heaviest payload ever launched by Europe. It combines an autonomous free-flying platform, a manoeuvrable space vehicle and – when docked – a Space Station module.

To achieve an automated docking under the very tight safety constraints imposed by human spaceflight rules, ATV carries high-precision navigation systems, highly redundant flight software and a fully independent and autonomous collision-avoidance system with its own power supplies, control and dedicated thrusters.

The Space Station depends on regular deliveries of experiment equipment and spare parts, as well as food, air and water for its crew.

Since 2008, every year and a half, an ATV has delivered about 6 tonnes of cargo some 400 km above Earth.

After launch on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, ATV automatically navigates to a precision docking with the Station’s Russian Zvezda module.

It remains attached to the ISS for up to six months before reentering the atmosphere and deliberately burning up together with several tonnes of Station waste.

About 10 m long and with a diameter of 4.5 m, ATV incorporates a 45-cubic metre pressurised module and a Russian docking system, similar to those used on the Soyuz manned ferries and the Progress supply ships.

With its solar wings deployed, ATV spans 22 m. Almost three times larger than Russia’s Progress, it can also deliver about three times the cargo load.


Propellant and cargo for the Station

ATV is the largest supply ship to travel to the International Space Station since the US Space Shuttle fleet was retired last year. ATV-3 will deliver 4395 kg of propellant, oxygen, air and water to the Station.

Once docked, the propellant will be used by ATV’s own thrusters to raise the Station’s orbit periodically to compensate for the natural decay caused by atmospheric drag.

ATV can also be used to move the Station out of the way of potentially dangerous space debris that come too close to the manned space complex.

Before leaving the Station, Edoardo Amaldi will be filled with waste bags and unwanted hardware by the crew.

It will then be deorbited over the southern Pacific Ocean to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.

Astrium is the industrial prime contractor, leading a team of more than 30 contractors in 10 European countries. The ATV Control Centre is located in Toulouse, France, on the premises of the French Space Agency, CNES.

For more information about ATV please visit http://www.esa.int/ATV

{...}

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

I heard from at least two independent sources that the launch will be delayed for at least a week, apparently because of cargo problems that require access to the ATV for repacking. One source (he's part of NASA's ISS planning team) indicates that the launch is now NET March 23; another French source reports a one week plus delay.

 

[orb]

And it's official now:


ESA:
ATV launch delayed

2 March 2012

PR 7 2012 - A routine inspection has concluded that additional measures are required to ensure the maximum readiness of the third Automated Transfer Vehicle for launch. It has therefore been decided to postpone the launch previously scheduled for 9 March.

A new launch date will be announced as soon as possible. The launch of ESA’s third Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3) is part of the internationally coordinated servicing effort to support the International Space Station.

{...}



NASASpaceflight: ATV-3 launch slipped to late March due to cargo issue

SPACE.com: Space Luggage Glitch Delays Launch of European Robotic Spaceship

Spaceflight Now: Space station cargo delivery delayed about two weeks