Jules Verne in space - Page 3

01101001 · #61 (**permalink**) 30-March-2008, 09:18 PM

ESA - ATV: Jules Verne receives go for next step (Go for Demoday 2)

Quote:

30 March 2008
International Space Station managers have today given the go-ahead for Jules Verne ATV to proceed with the second of two demonstration days in the lead up to a first ISS docking attempt later in the week. On Monday, Demonstration Day 2 will see ATV approach to within 11 m of the ISS.
[...]
During Demonstration Day 2, scheduled to start at 14:26 CEST (12:26 UT) on Monday 31 March[...]

(Um... I think I confused CEST (Central Eurpean Summer Time) with CET in some articles above -- but, what's an hour among friends? Oh, it's not so bad as I first thought; the switchover must happen this weekend. Will repair other articles.)

Demonstration day 2 activites begin:
Monday, March 31, 0526 PDT
Monday, March 31, 0826 EDT
Monday, March 31, 1226 UTC
Monday, March 31, 1426 CEST

Edit: It looks like there will be video coverage of Demoday 2. NASA TV Schedule (times EDT):

Quote:

March 31, Monday
10 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - Coverage of the "Jules Verne" Automated Transfer Vehicle's Second Demonstration Test Approach to the International Space Station (Closest Approach to 36 feet scheduled at approximately 12:30 p.m.) - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

NASA TV

(According to earlier articles, same video will be available via ESA. At the time, see ESA: ATV - Jules Verne.)

===

Useful links:
ESA: ATV - Jules Verne
ESA: About ATV
ESA: ATV Blog
Wikipedia: Automated Transfer Vehicle

01101001 · #62 (**permalink**) 31-March-2008, 04:30 PM

Demoday 2 currently on NASA TV

Coverage:
0700 - 0945 PDT
1000 - 1245 EDT
1400 - 1645 UTC
1600 - 1845 CEST

This screen capture from NASA TV shows Jules Verne at about 100 m distance:
julesverneapproaches.png

Final approach (from 250 m 11 m) beginning at about 45 minutes past the hour.

Same NASA video feed, via ESA

ESA: Jules Verne ATV Demonstration Day 2 sequence of events

Quote:

Time CEST Activity Distance to ISS
14:26 Depart station point S-1/2 39 km
15:12 Arrive at station point S1 15.5 km
15:58 Arrive at station point S2 3.5 km
17:10 Arrive at station point S3 249 m
17.53 Retreat test
17:55 Hold test
17:59 Resume test
18:13 Arrive at station point S4 19 m
18:31 Arrive at station point S41 11 m
18:34 Retreat from S41 11 m
18:36 Arrive at station point S4 19 m
18:38-18:45 Perform 'Escape' from S4

01101001 · #63 (**permalink**) 31-March-2008, 04:55 PM

Retreat issued.

Coming up:

17:55 Hold test
17:59 Resume test
18:13 Arrive at station point S4 19 m
18:31 Arrive at station point S41 11 m
18:34 Retreat from S41 11 m
18:36 Arrive at station point S4 19 m
18:38-18:45 Perform 'Escape' from S4

Edit, 59 minutes past the hour: Resume test issued. Approach begun.

Edit: Arrived at S4, holding at 19 m
julesverneholding19m.png

Edit: Arrived at S41, closest approach today, 11 m, ready to retreat
julesverneholding11m.png

Good little robot!

01101001 · #64 (**permalink**) 31-March-2008, 06:12 PM

All Demoday 2 objectives met.

Jules Verne withdrawing:
julesvernewithdrawing.png

Let's hook up Thursday, April 3!

NASA TV coverage begins:
April 3, 0500 PDT
April 3, 0800 EDT
April 3, 1200 UTC
April 3, 1400 CEST

Schedule:

Quote:

April 3, Thursday
8 - 11 a.m. - Coverage of the "Jules Verne" Automated Transfer Vehicle's Docking to the International Space Station (Docking scheduled at 10:38 a.m.) - JSC (Public and Media Channels)
12:30 p.m. - "Jules Verne" Automated Transfer Vehicle Post-Docking Briefing - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

Edit: Summary: ESA: Impressive dress-rehearsal for Jules Verne ATV

Quote:

“I’m known for my understatements, but the only word that comes to mind about today is impressive,” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. “It was impressive to see how Jules Verne, the staff at the ATV Control Centre, the control centres in Moscow and Houston pulled together today. It was a perfect dress-rehearsal for Thursday.”
[...]
“This demonstration day confirmes the performance of the vehicle is even better than we had hoped for,” said Nicolas Chamussy, Astrium ATV Project Manager. “This is a world premier for automated rendezvous using optical sensors, following the world’s first demonstration of relative GPS navigation between Jules Verne and the Station performed on Saturday.”

Spotted in ESA: ATV Blog: Demoday 2 gallery of images

01101001 · #65 (**permalink**) 02-April-2008, 07:00 PM

ESA: Jules Verne ATV given 'go' for docking:

Quote:

2 April 2008
Jules Verne was today formally cleared to proceed with the first ISS docking attempt, scheduled for 3 April 2008 at 16:41 CEST (14:41 UT). The official go-ahead came from the International Space Station Mission Management Team (IMMT) after two flawless demonstration days in which Jules Verne proved its operational capabilities.

"We have proven that Jules Verne's systems are safe, reliable and ready to dock to the Station. Everyone has worked very hard to get to this point, and we have also proven that the team on the ground is fully ready for tomorrow's first attempt," said John Ellwood, ESA's ATV Project Manager.
[...]
Tomorrow's docking attempt will see Jules Verne move past station keeping point S41 [11 m] to actually dock with the Russian ISS module's docking port. Contact of the vessel's docking probe is expected at 16:41 CEST (14:41 UT), with full capture scheduled at 17:15 CEST (15:15 UT). If the docking does not occur for any reason, the next possible window occurs 48 hours later on Saturday, 5 April.
[...]
The rendezvous and docking will be broadcast live by ESA TV, 16:00-17:15 CEST (14:00-15:15 UT); details are available on the ESA TV web page under http://television.esa.int/.

NASA TV coverage begins:
April 3, 0500 PDT
April 3, 0800 EDT
April 3, 1200 UTC
April 3, 1400 CEST

18 hours to start of docking coverage (according to NASA TV schedule, but ESA video coverage is supposed to start at 1400 UTC; maybe NASA is just giving it more time; they agree, within minutes, on when contact occurs: 1441 UTC; 1041 EDT)

01101001 · #66 (**permalink**) 03-April-2008, 08:10 AM

Hah. On NASA TV I caught ISS Flight Control doing a late-night publicity group photo for the upcoming Jules Verne docking. The ISS crew was smiling too, and present up on the big board.

groupphoto.jpg

NASA TV coverage begins:
April 3, 0500 PDT
April 3, 0800 EDT
April 3, 1200 UTC
April 3, 1400 CEST

4 hours 50 minutes to start of docking coverage

01101001 · #67 (**permalink**) 03-April-2008, 01:40 PM

We're 40 minutes into coverage.

ESA: Follow the Jules Verne ATV docking

(artist's impression)

Quote:

Contact of the vessel's docking probe is expected at 16:40 CEST (14:40 UT), with full capture scheduled at 17:14 CEST (15:14 UT).

NASA TV coverage began:
April 3, 0500 PDT
April 3, 0800 EDT
April 3, 1200 UTC
April 3, 1400 CEST

Coming up:

500 m [Visible in Zvezda video systen]
S3(249 m behind) S3 arrival 15:16 CEST S3 depart 15:52 CEST
S4(19 m behind) S4 arrival 16:13 CEST S4 depart 16:29 CEST
S41 (11 m behind) S41 arrival 16:31 CEST S41 depart 16:37 CEST
Capture 16:40 CEST
Hooks closed 17:14 CEST

ESA: ATV Blog is logging current events.
(And I shall be heading out for a morning run and a couple cups of delicious fresh hot coffee, so I shall miss the adrenaline, but, after all, Mr. Endorphin and Mrs. Caffeine are my true masters.)

First contact target:
April 3, 0740 PDT
April 3, 1040 EDT
April 3, 1440 UTC
April 3, 1640 CEST

2 hours to contact

Swift · #68 (**permalink**) 03-April-2008, 02:44 PM

So, as the Jules Verne approaches the ISS, is there a little back-up alarm beeping on it, and an astronaut standing on the loading dock going "little more, keep coming, keep coming.... wait STOP!".

01101001 · #69 (**permalink**) 03-April-2008, 03:39 PM

Systems nominal. At 19 m.

julesverneat19m.png

Go for approach to 11 m.

julesverneat19mgofor11m.png

Before I can finish the pictures, it's now at 11 meters.

Awaiting command to make contact.

Edit: 43 minutes past the hour: GO for docking.

01101001 · #70 (**permalink**) 03-April-2008, 03:48 PM

Contact.

julesvernecontact.png

Textbook.

Awaiting command for hard mate.

Edit: Hard mate.

01101001 · #71 (**permalink**) 03-April-2008, 05:02 PM

ESA: Europe’s automated ship docks to the ISS

Quote:

ATV Jules Verne, the European Space Agency’s first resupply and reboost vehicle, has successfully performed a fully automated docking with the International Space Station (ISS). This docking marks the beginning of Jules Verne’s main servicing mission to deliver cargo, propellant, water, oxygen and propulsion capacity to the Station, as well as ESA’s entry into the restricted club of the partners able to access the orbital facility by their own means.

The 19-ton unmanned spaceship manoeuvred from a holding position 39 km behind the 275-ton space outpost and conducted a 4-hour staged approach with several stops at reference points for checks. It autonomously computed its own position through relative GPS (comparison between data collected by GPS receivers both on the ATV and the ISS) and in close range it used videometers pointed at laser retroreflectors on the ISS to determine its distance and orientation relative to its target. Final approach was at a relative velocity of 7 cm/s and with an accuracy of less than 10 cm, while both the ATV and the ISS were orbiting at about 28000 km/h, some 340 km above the Eastern Mediterranean. ATV Jules Verne’s docking probe was captured by the docking cone at the aft end of Russia’s Zvezda module at 16:45 CEST (14:45 GMT). Docking was completed with hooks closing at 16:52 CEST (14:52 GMT).

ESA: Jules Verne Cargo (old story, worth a review):

Quote:

When the Jules Verne ATV is launched to the ISS it will be carrying around 8.3 tonnes of wet and dry cargo with an additional 2.3 tonnes of cargo support hardware.
The cargo is split as follows:

Wet cargo

Propulsion propellant (5.8 tonnes) [...]
Refuelling propellant (860 kg) [...]
Water (270 kg) [...]
Oxygen (20 kg) [...]

Dry cargo

A total of 1.3 tonnes of dry cargo is being transported to the ISS inside the Integrated Cargo Carrier of the ATV. This includes 500 kg of food for the crew, 136 kg of spare parts for the European Columbus laboratory, which was launched and attached to the ISS in February 2008, 80 kg of clothing, and a number of additional items including public relations items to commemorate the Jules Verne ATV launch. This includes two Jules Verne manuscripts.

Manuscripts. Cool. Anyone up there read French?

Félicitations, M. Verne!

01101001 · #72 (**permalink**) 05-April-2008, 04:58 AM

ESA: Crew opens hatch to Jules Verne ATV

Quote:

4 April 2008
The hatch to the newly arrived Jules Verne ATV was opened for the first time by the International Space Station crew earlier today. Shortly after hatch opening the crew briefly entered ATV to place an air filtering device.

The so-called ‘air scrubber’ will be left to run for 8 hours to remove any unwanted gasses or small particles of debris that may be floating around. Once the air inside the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is clean, the crew will fully enter the spacecraft’s cargo section for the first time on Saturday.
Over the next weeks the crew will remove the 1150 kg of dry cargo delivered by Jules Verne – including fuel, clothes, equipment as well as two original manuscripts handwritten by Jules Verne and a XIXth century illustrated edition of his novel “From the Earth to the Moon”. In addition the crew will pump 856 kg of propellant, 270 kg of drinking water and 21 kg of oxygen into Zvezda’s tanks.

01101001 · #73 (**permalink**) 06-April-2008, 07:25 AM

And, like day follows night...

ESA: Space Station crew enters Jules Verne ATV

Quote:

5 April 2008
The astronauts on board the International Space Station performed final ATV hatch opening at around 10:30 CEST (08:30 UT) this morning, clearing the way for the crew to start unloading Jules Verne’s cargo delivery.

Immediately after hatch reopening this morning, the lights inside Jules Verne ATV were turned on and the air scrubber dismounted. The crew will now install portable breathing apparatus, a fire extinguisher and the handrails which help the astronauts move around inside ATV. A flexible hose will also be installed to provide additional ventilation. Once all of these items are in place, ATV is ready for full, regular operations.

01101001 · #74 (**permalink**) 25-April-2008, 06:16 PM

ESA: Jules Verne boosts ISS orbit

Quote:

ESA's Jules Verne ATV was used for the first time early this morning to raise the orbit of the International Space Station. A 740-second burn of the Automated Transfer Vehicle's main engines successfully lifted the altitude of the 280-tonne Station by around 4.5 km to a height of 342 km above the Earth's surface.

There's a nice little Flash animation there of the Jules Verne pushing the ISS around.

01101001 · #75 (**permalink**) 13-May-2008, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 01101001

Manuscripts. Cool. Anyone up there read French?

Just saw Garrett Reisman asked about the manuscript.

Reply was along the lines of: Saw it. It's in French! Someone should tell them the French guy left. None of us reads French. But, the manuscript was tightly sealed and labeled: Under no circumstances should this be opened. So, it doesn't matter. It's neat to have here.

mugaliens · #76 (**permalink**) 16-May-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToSeek

New ISS transfer vehicle named for early sf writer

I fail to see why this is names the Jules Ver in space thread, when JV died centuries ago.

Please name it something more appropriate.

01101001 · #77 (**permalink**) 16-May-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugaliens

I fail to see why this is names the Jules Ver in space thread, when JV died centuries ago.

Please name it something more appropriate.

Perhaps you could suggest some titles much more fitting for the topic of the European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Jules Verne that is finally now in space? (I suggest ESA: ATV for background research.)