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A cutaway view of
the Automated Transfer
Vehicle (ATV) .
(Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
The exterior is a cylinder, 10.3 metres long and The combination of the ATV and the Ariane 5
up to 4.5 metres in diameter covered with an provides Europe with the independent capability to
insulating foil layer on top of meteorite transport European equipment to the Station. This
protection panels. Extending from the main has very important political and operational
body of the spacecraft are its characteristic X- implications. By transporting propellants, gases
shaped metallic blue solar arrays. and other logistics goods to the Station for the
common use by the ISS partners and ISS systems,
Europe is contributing towards its share of the
Space Station operating costs. At the same time it
enables the delivery of experiments and scientific
facilities for use in the European Columbus
laboratory, which was launched and attached to the
ISS in February 2008.
Inside, the ATV consists of two modules: the ATV The Ariane 5 ECA on the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in
Service Module containing the navigation and Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2007.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
propulsion systems; and the pressurised Integrated
Cargo Carrier, which houses the fluid and dry The ATV is developed under ESA contract by a
cargo to be transported to the ISS. The forward European industrial consortium lead by EADS
part of this Cargo Carrier docks with the ISS. Astrium.
Artist’s impression (cutaway view) of the ATV Integrated Cargo Carrier attached to the ISS. (Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
The Integrated Cargo Carrier is located on the The ATV pressurised cargo section is based on
forward end of the ATV, i.e. the end that docks the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
with the ISS. It represents 60% of the total ATV (MPLM), which is already in service as a Shuttle-
volume and carries all of the cargo for resupplying carried ‘space barge’ transporting equipment to
the Station. and from the Station.
Propulsion
The ATV propulsion system provides the
spaceship with the capability to transport the ATV
to the ISS, navigating as a fully automatic
spaceship with four main engines (providing 490
N thrust) plus 28 smaller thrusters (providing 220
N) for attitude control. All valves and thrusters are
controlled by four control units connected to the
main ATV computers. Once docked to the Station,
the ATV’s propulsion capabilities can be used for
Key Mission Data
MISSION
Mission Name: ATV Jules Verne Mission
ISS Mission Designation ATV1
MISSION PARAMETERS
Launch parameters
Scheduled Launch date 9 March 2008 (00:59 local time 04:59 CET)
Inclination 51.6 °
Initial Orbit Altitude 260 km
In-orbit parameters
Phasing 9 – 29 March 2008 *
Demo Day 1 29 March 2008
Demo Day 2 31 March 2008
Docking/post-docking parameters
Docking altitude 340 km
Docking date 3 April 2008
Undocking August 2008
* The phasing period will also include a period from 18 – 26 March in which the ATV will be in parked mode, holding a distance of
2000 km from the Station.
(please not that all dates listed above are open to variation)
Pre-Launch to Final Countdown
The ATV will be launched from the European Finally, with 6 min 30 s until ignition of the main
Spaceport in French Guiana by an Ariane 5 ES stage engine, the automatic sequence covering
ATV. It will be injected into a 51.6º orbit, the same the final checks and launcher activation
as the ISS, and at an altitude of around 260 km, procedures begins. The launcher becomes
below the Stations' altitude of around 340 km. autonomous with 1 min until main stage ignition
as the power supply is switched to Ariane 5
internal power.
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle approaching the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
A few hours after ATV separation from the the ATV Control Centre’s capability to perform
launcher the ATV goes into the phasing stage of orbit navigation with the ATV’s GPS, and a
the mission, which will last for about three weeks. demonstration of the ATV’s ability to execute
A set of orbital manoeuvres prepared by the ATV orbital manoeuvres. However, the main objective
Control Centre are executed in order to bring the that will be demonstrated during this period is the
ATV from its current position in orbit to an ISS ATV’s capability to execute collision avoidance
interface point at a distance of 39km behind and manoeuvres, one of the means of ensuring the
5km below the ISS. safety of the ISS.
During this phasing period (after about 10 days The phasing stage of in-orbit activities is
in orbit) the ATV will hold in a parked position followed by two demonstration days prior to
2000 km from the ISS. This is to allow the next docking the first planned on 29 March, and the
shuttle flight (STS-123 due for launch on 11 second two days later. The first demonstration
March 2008) to complete its ISS mission, undock day will verify that the ATV can perform relative
and land before the ATV proceeds with its navigation with the ISS using relative GPS to
mission. This also provides a good opportunity to successfully and safely manoeuvre the ATV to a
assess the ATV’s ability to hold such a position point 3.5km behind the ISS and at the same
in orbit for future missions. orbital altitude. At this point an escape
manoeuvre will be commanded by the ATV
The phasing period will include a demonstration Control Centre, which will test that the ATV can
of the ATV’s attitude control, a demonstration of be brought into a safe orbit.
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle coming into close proximity with the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
After the escape manoeuvre has been pre-defined position 19 m behind the Station. At
successfully completed, a series of orbital this point another escape manoeuvre will be
manoeuvres prepared by the ATV Control Centre initiated to bring the ATV away from close
will be executed by the ATV to bring it back to the proximity of the Station. This phase lasts about 6
ISS interface point 39 km behind and 5 km below hours.
the ISS to await continuation of the mission. Data
collected will be analysed at the ATV Control
Centre to make sure that everything has gone
according to plan.
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle coming to dock with the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
A few days after the successful completion of the The docking will be fully automatic with the
phasing and demonstration days in orbit the ATV videometer’s eye-like sensors, combined with
is now ready to dock with the ISS. The ATV sets additional parallel data ensuring an automatic
up a direct link with the Station, allowing the ATV docking with an incredible 1.5 cm precision. If
to start relative and accurate navigation to the ISS there are any last-minute problems, either the
using GPS technology. ATV’s computers, the control centre or the
Station’s crew can trigger a pre-programmed
The ATV again raises its orbital altitude to that of sequence of anti-collision manoeuvres, which is
the ISS, closing in to a distance of 3.5 km, and a fully independent of the main navigation system.
further thruster burn will bring the cargo ship up to
the 249 m mark where videometer and
telegoniometer data will be used by the ATV
computers for final approach and docking
manoeuvres. Again the approach of the ATV to
the ISS will slow down to 7cm/s though the
absolute speed will remain close to 28000 km/h.
Artist’s impression of the ATV being used to raise the altitude of the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
With the ATV securely docked, the Station’s crew Station’s altitude to counter the effects of
can enter the cargo section and remove the atmospheric drag.
payload: supplies, science hardware, parcels of
fresh food, as well as mail and personal items
from their families. Meanwhile, the ATV’s fluid
tanks will be connected automatically (propellant)
or manually (water and air) to transfer their
contents to the Station.
Artist’s impression of the ATV burning up in Earth’s atmosphere at the end its mission. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
Once its re-supply mission is accomplished, the Station servicing. It is also a way for Europe to
ATV, filled with up to 6.4 tonnes of material no contribute to the ISS running costs by creating
longer used on the Station, will be closed by the jobs within European industry rather than by
crew and automatically separated. Its thrusters money transfers to its international partners.
will use their remaining fuel to de-orbit the
spacecraft, not at the shallow angle used for the Depending on the operational lifetime of the ISS,
relatively gentle re-entry of human spaceflight ESA plans to build several ATVs. Numerous
vehicles, but on a steep flight path to perform a companies from ten European countries, as well
controlled destructive re-entry high above the additional companies from Russia and the United
Pacific Ocean over a predefined uninhabited States share the work, with EADS Astrium in
South Pacific area. France as the prime contractor (See Organisations
and Industry).
From its first operational flight in 2008, Europe’s
most challenging spaceship will play a vital role in
ATV Payload
When the Jules Verne ATV is launched to the ISS Refuelling propellant (860 kg)
it will be carrying around 8.3 tonnes of wet and dry Once attached to the Station, 860 kg of refuelling
cargo with an additional 2.3 tonnes of cargo propellant will be transferred from the ATV to the
support hardware. The cargo will be used in order ISS. This consists of two different fluids: the fuel
to transport the ATV to the ISS, to reboost the ISS unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and
to a higher orbiting altitude, to resupply the ISS, the oxidiser, nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4), which
and to deorbit the ATV with waste and items no provides a source of oxygen so the fuel can ignite
longer needed on the ISS at the end of the and burn in orbit. This will be used by the ISS for
mission. The cargo is split as follows: orbit and attitude control.
Boosters
The Ariane 5 solid propellant boosters are the
largest solid rocket boosters ever produced in
Europe. Weighing 37 tonnes each when empty,
they are 31 m high and 3 m in diameter. Each
booster consists of a steel casing enclosing three
segments and can contain in total about 238
tonnes of propellant. Although the casings are
only 8 mm thick, they can resist pressures of up to
64 bar. Ariane-5 boosters provide 1100 tonnes of
thrust, roughly 92% of the total thrust at liftoff.
At the base of the Cryogenic Main Stage is the cryogenic main stage, it interfaces directly with the
Vulcain engine which delivers a thrust in the order upper stage. The vehicle equipment bay is a big
of 130 tonnes and operates for just under 10 cylindrical ‘basket’ 5.4 m in diameter. It stands
minutes after launch. It provides 8% of the total 1.56 m tall and weighs 1,300 kg without
thrust needed at liftoff and the full thrust after propellant. The Storable Propellant Stage sits in
booster separation and before ignition of the its centre.
upper stage. Two high-speed turbopumps force
the cryogenic propellants into the combustion and The Vehicle Equipment Bay can autonomously
thrust chamber at high pressure at a rate of 235 orchestrate the systems required to control a flight
kg/sec. During the ascent, the engine nozzle can such as engine ignition, separation of the
be swivelled to control the launcher's trajectory. boosters, the upper stage, and operation and
release of the individual payloads.
Storable Propellant Stage
The Storable Propellant Stage or upper stage is One of the features of the equipment bay is an
3.35 m high with a diameter ranging from 3.94 m independent attitude control system that can
at the bottom to 2.62 m at the top. It weighs direct the launcher throughout its propulsion
roughly 11 tonnes when fully loaded. The mission phases to reach the required orbit.
of the upper stage will be to provide the extra
energy to inject the ATV into the target orbit Fairing
following main stage separation. The upper stage The conical-shaped fairing is positioned on the
is essentially composed of a supporting structure, very top of the Ariane 5 launcher and consists of
two pairs of propellant tanks and an ‘Aestus’ two half shells connected by the vertical separation
engine. The propellants used in the upper stage system. Externally it is made of carbon-covered
are monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen peroxide. aluminium honeycomb panels of variable thickness.
The pressure-fed Aestus engine can swivel along Its function will be to protect the ATV as the
two axes through a maximum angle of 16°. launcher rises from the launch pad through the
atmosphere to an altitude of approximately
Vehicle Equipment Bay 100 km. Once the launcher leaves the Earth’s
The Vehicle Equipment Bay is often called the atmosphere, approximately three minutes after lift
‘brains’ of the launcher. Situated on top of the off, the fairing is jettisoned.
European Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana
Aerial view of the Ariane 5 launch pad and surrounding buildings at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. (Image: ESA)
The ATV will be launched from the European it ideally placed for launches into geostationary
Spaceport in French Guiana. It covers an area of transfer orbit as few changes have to be made to
750 km2 and is surrounded on two sides by a satellite’s trajectory.
equatorial forest. To the east it has a 50 km
coastline bordering the Atlantic Ocean and to the Launchers also profit from the ‘slingshot’ effect
south lies the town of Kourou. created by the speed of the Earth’s rotation
around the axis of the Poles. This increases the
In 1964 the French Government chose Kourou, speed of a launcher by 460 m per second. These
from 14 other sites, as a base from which to launch important factors save fuel and money, and
its satellites. When the European Space Agency prolong the active life of satellites.
came into being in 1975, the French Government
offered to share the site with ESA. For its part, ESA Thanks to its geographical position, Europe’s
approved funding to upgrade the launch facilities at Spaceport offers a launch angle of 102°, enabling
the site to prepare the Spaceport for the Ariane a wide range of missions from east to north. In
launchers under development. fact, Europe’s Spaceport is so well placed that it
can carry out all possible space missions.
Since then, ESA has continued to fund two thirds
of the Spaceport's annual budget to finance the Safety is equally important. French Guiana is
operations and services and also finances new scarcely populated and 90% of the country is
facilities to accommodate new launchers such as covered by equatorial forests. In addition there is
Vega or for the exploitation of Soyuz. To date, no risk of cyclones or earthquakes.
ESA has invested more than €1.6 billion in
improving and developing the ground facilities at The high levels of efficiency, safety and reliability
Europe’s Spaceport and owns the special at Europe’s Spaceport are well known. In addition
infrastructure built for the Ariane launchers. to its many European clients, the spaceport also
undertakes launches for industries in the United
Kourou lies at latitude 5°3', just over 500 km north States, Japan, Canada, India and Brazil.
of the equator. Its nearness to the equator makes
ATV Control Centre, Toulouse, France
(Responsible for ATV operations)
The Flight Control Room of the ATV Control Centre. (Image: ESA)
The ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) is located in systems, will start the journey to ISS where its
the elegant, modern-style Fermat Building of the optical rendezvous sensors will be used to dock
French Space Agency’s (CNES) Toulouse Space automatically. At the end of it’s four-month
Centre. Under contracts signed in 2003 CNES mission the ATV Control Centre will command the
has developed the ATV-CC and has prepared the ATV to separate from the ISS, loaded with waste,
operations of the first Automated Transfer Vehicle and carry out a controlled destructive re-entry into
mission, named Jules Verne under the Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
management of ESA.
An ATV mission will require complex interactions
Under the authority of ESA, the ATV-CC teams and shared responsibilities between control centres
(flight control, flight dynamics and engineering dispersed throughout the world. First, the ATV
support) will execute the pre-programmed mission Control Centre will work with the Guiana Space
plans and, if needed, implement any changes as Centre, in charge of launch and deployment of the
well as monitoring and controlling the ATV’s ATV. For rendezvous, docking and departure, the
orientation and orbital trajectory en-route to and ATV Control Centre will work in close coordination
approaching the ISS. These are challenging tasks, with the Mission Control Centres in Moscow and
requiring a very high degree of technical skill, since Houston. All the ATV ground control commands
it will be the first time that Europe accomplishes will be issued from Toulouse. For example, in case
these kinds of operations. of a major malfunction during the rendezvous, the
ATV Control Centre, as well as the ISS crew, can
After launch, under the responsibility of the initiate the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre to move
Control Centre in Toulouse, the ATV will separate the spacecraft away from the Station before
from Ariane 5 and, using its own navigation making another rendezvous attempt.
To allow continuous coordination with the other
control centres and to remain in contact with the
ATV during the mission, using the NASA Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite System as well as ESA‘s
Artemis relay satellite, the ATV Control Centre will
rely on the European ISS ground communication
network, which is controlled from the Columbus
Control Centre located at DLR, in
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
1. The European Space Agency’s ATV The Flight Dynamics Control room, is home to the
Operations Management Team, in charge CNES flight dynamics team.
of the overall operations preparation and
execution activities, and of decision The third room houses an Engineering Support
making for off-nominal situations; Team comprising experts from ESA and EADS-
Astrium (the ATV prime contractor) who are ready
2. The Flight Control Team, in charge of the to support the flight controllers in case of
ATV operations; problems with the ATV systems. The engineering
support team gets involved when something is not
3. The Flight Dynamics Team, which is working as expected. Since these development
responsible for monitoring the ATV engineers are experts in the ATV systems, they
trajectory and attitude as well as are able to advise the flight control team on
computing manoeuvres. corrective measures in case of a failure.
The Jupiter Control Centre in Kourou prior to an Ariane 5 launch. (Image: ESA/CNES/ARIANESPACE)
The Jupiter Control Centre has responsibility for based on information on the status of the
launch of the Ariane 5 ES ATV, which will place launcher, the ATV and the meteorological
the ATV into orbit up until the point of separation conditions at the launch site.
of the ATV with the Ariane 5 upper stage.
The Director of Operations is responsible for
This control centre, situated in the Jupiter building coordinating the launch sequence and for the final
about 12 km away from the Ariane launch pad, countdown. After lift-off the Director of Operations
will receive all the information regarding the ATV provides information on the status of the main
launch. Final countdown takes place here and the automatically initiated events, such as the
flight of the Ariane 5 is closely monitored until the separation of the boosters and the ignition of the
ATV has been accurately placed into the correct upper stage.
orbit.
As soon as the ATV is correctly injected into space,
On the day of a launch, the decision to launch is the Director of Operations can announce that the
taken by the Flight Director from Arianespace, Ariane 5 mission has been successfully completed.
Mission Control Centre – Moscow, Russia
(Responsible for Russian ISS modules and Soyuz/Progress spacecraft)
ISS Control Room at the Mission Control Centre in Korolev near Moscow. (Image: NASA)
For ATV missions, The Russian Mission Control Moscow. TsNIIMash, the Russian acronym for the
Centre is the mission authority for all ATV-ISS Central Research Institute for Machine Building,
joint operations (rendezvous, attached phase operates the facility on behalf of the Russian
active operations, etc.) and is responsible for Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos. The ISS
controlling the ISS during the run-up to ATV flight control teams are provided by RSC-Energia.
rendezvous, for providing the interface with the
ISS crew and for controlling ATV for all attached TsUP was built in 1973 and was used as the
active operations with the ISS such as reboosting Mission Control Centre of the Mir and Salyut
the orbit. space stations and houses the flight control rooms
for the Progress and Soyuz launches.
The control centre, known as TsUP in Russian, is
situated in Korolev (formerly Kaliningrad) near
Mission Control Center – Houston, Texas, USA
(Overall Control of ISS activities)
ISS Flight Control Room at the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas during the transfer of ESA’s Columbus laboratory from Space
Shuttle Atlantis to the European-built Node 2 of the International Space Station on 11 February 2008. (Image: NASA)
The NASA Mission Control Center, located at for all ISS activities, including ISS flight
the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in control.
Houston, Texas has been the heart of NASA
Human Spaceflight operations since 1965. For ATV missions, Mission Control – Houston has
There are different Flight Control Rooms at the overall ISS mission authority and coordination
control centre covering ISS Operations and responsibility. It has responsibility for overall ISS
Shuttle flights. The ISS Flight Control Room safety and leading the investigation of anomalies
began operations on 20 November 1998. It as well as for providing Tracking and Data Relay
acts as the command and coordination centre Satellite services for the ATV mission.
ATV Industrial Team
The ATV is part of the European participation in Space Transportation in France prior to
the ISS which is an optional ESA programme. Ten reintegration into EADS Astrium). In addition to
of the ESA Member States have decided to the business units (Astrium Space Transportation
participate in ISS project and, as such, are also and Astrium Satellites) and subsidiaries of EADS,
involved in the ATV. the European companies also involved in the ATV
programme include Thales Alenia Space, Oerlikon
Each country decides in which optional Space, Dutch Space (now part of EADS Astrium),
programme they wish to participate and the Snecma (part of the SAFRAN group), MAN and
amount of their contribution. ESA operates on the many others.
basis of geographical return, i.e. it invests in each
Member State, through industrial contracts for It also implicates the cooperation of a number of
space programmes, an amount corresponding to Russian companies, whose main contractor is
each country's contribution. RSC Energia, which has built the ATV docking
mechanism, the refuelling system and the
The ATV project involves dozens of companies associated electronics. The programme also
and thousands of technicians and engineers from involves the cooperation and a number of US
ten European countries under the prime companies.
contractorship of EADS Astrium (formerly EADS
Rendezvous and Docking (3 April 2008)
This document has been compiled, produced and European Space Agency (ESA)
written by the Coordination Office of the European Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity
Space Agency’s Directorate of Human and Exploration Programmes
Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, PO Box 299
Programmes in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. It 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
has been compiled from internal ESA sources Tel: +31 (0) 71 565 6799
with additional images and information kindly Fax: +31 (0) 71 565 5441
supplied by the following organisations: www.esa.int/spaceflight
www.esa.int/atv
www.esa.int/columbus
EADS Astrium
ESA Media Relations
French Space Agency (CNES) ESA Head Office, Paris, France.
Tel. + 33 1 5369 7155
National Aeronautics and Fax. + 33 1 5369 7690
Space Administration (NASA) contactesa@esa.int
Propulsion Module (PM) Water and gas tank Stand-off Primary Main engine
structure (4 x 490 N)
Payload
Multi-Layer 2 x visual targets
racks
Insulation for crew monitoring
blanket
2 x star
trackers
Space Station
TITLE: Automated DOCUMENT N°: REV.
Transfer Vehicle EUC-ESA-FSH-003 1.2
www.spaceflight.esa.int/users ERASMUS User Centre and Communication Office - Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes
Specifications
Dimensions
Length: 9,794 mm (probe retracted)
Largest diameter: 4,480 mm
Solar arrays span: 22,281 mm
Mass Budget
Vehicle dry mass: 10,470 kg
Vehicle consumables: 2,613 kg
Total vehicle mass: 13,083 kg
Total cargo upload capacity: 7,500 kg
Mass at launch (max): 20,750 kg
Waste download capacity: 6,300 kg
(420 km altitude, 51.6° inclination)
Propulsion
Main propulsion system: 4 x 490 N thrusters (Pressurized
liquid bi-propellant system)
Attitude control system: 28 x 220 N thrusters (Pressurized
liquid bi-propellant system)
Propellant: Monomethyl hydrazine fuel and
Nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer
Pressurization: Helium pressurant at 31 MPa
Communications Infrastructure
To ground: S-band via TDRS satellite
ATV to ISS: S-band antenna via Proximity link
Navigation: GPS
Thermal/Environmental Control
Thermal Control: Multi Layer Insulation material,
2045 1360
active thermal control using
4480
4482 Variable & Constant Conductive
Heat Pipes and paints
ECLSS: Fire detection, air circulation, air
temperature monitoring
Electrical Power
Ascent to ISS and de-orbit: 4 Solar panel wings of 4 panels
each and 40 Ah rechargeable
batteries
Number of arrays: 4
Number of panels/array: 4
Generated power: 3,800 W after 6 months in orbit
11 Required power: < 400 W Dormant mode,
15 supplied by ISS: < 900 W Active mode
8
Main Construction Material
Pressure shell: Al - 2219
Micrometeoroid and Debris
Protection System:
Primary bumper: Al-6061-T6
Secondary bumper: Nextel/Kevlar blankets
Internal structure (racks): Al-6061-T6
∅ 22281
22316 Thermal insulation: Goldised Kapton Multi-layer Insula-
tion blanket & aluminised beta cloth
Solar arrays: Silicium Solar Cells on 4 Carbon
Fibre Reinforced Plastic
Sandwich panels
Main Contractor
EADS-Space Transportation,
Leading a consortium of many
sub-contractors
957 3405 4916
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