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16 April 2013
A fueling 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.
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The European Space Agency is investigating potential damage to the International Space Station (ISS) docking port which was used by Progress 51P on April 26. The damage, caused by the undeployed Progress antenna, appears to have involved a navigational aid needed for ATV-4, scheduled for June.
The docking between the cargo spacecraft and the space laboratory may have damaged the Laser Radar Reflector (LRR) target. The LRR is needed for the automatic docking of the European ATV during the last part of the rendezvous operations. If the damage is confirmed, the device, recently replacedduring an EVA by the Russian crew due to contamination of the optical section, will need to be replaced again. In this event, the European cargo ship could potentially be delayed for several months. ATV-4, named Albert Einstein, has been already delayed from April to June because of a glitch in an avionics box.
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3 June 2013
ESA’s fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein, is ready for launch on an Ariane 5 to the International Space Station on 5 June from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Liftoff is set for 23:52 CEST (21:52 GMT), and three hours and four minutes later the vessel will separate from the launcher to begin ten days of health checks and orbital manoeuvres, bringing it to an automated docking with the Station on 15 June.
ATV Albert Einstein, named after the scientist most famous for developing the theory of relativity, will deliver essential supplies and reboost the Station’s altitude during its planned five-month stay in orbit.
With a launch mass of 20 235 kg, it is the heaviest spacecraft ever launched by Europe, and it is carrying the largest load of dry cargo yet to be ferried by any ATV.
The spacecraft is four vehicles in one, bringing equipment and supplies, replenishing the Station’s propellant tanks, keeping the orbital outpost aloft with its boosts, and providing a module for the astronauts to live in.
“Teams from ESA, CNES, Arianespace and Astrium have worked hard to ensure Albert Einstein is ready to go. I’d like to thank everyone for their dedication and professionalism,” says ESA’s Alberto Novelli, ATV-4 Mission Manager.
“We’re looking forward to an excellent launch on Wednesday.”
Delivering cargo for ESA and Station partners
ATV’s cargo includes scientific experiments – including several to be performed by ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano – spare parts, propellant, water, gases, food and clothing. In total, over 1400 different items are to be delivered to space.
Many of these items are being delivered on behalf of the Station’s international partners, and include items for NASA and Japan’s space agency.
Luca, working and living on the Station since 29 May, will monitor ATV’s rendezvous and docking and assist with unpacking and storing supplies.
EADS Astrium:
Astrium: ATV-5 “Georges Lemaître” en route to Kourou
7 October 2013 – 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.
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.
“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”.
“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.”
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.
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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