Europe's ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)

ga2re2t

Some useful links
Main ATV page on ESA's website
Forum discussions on European spacecraft on NasaSpaceFlight.com

The ATV has completed two demonstration days (Demo 1 and Demo 2). Demo 2 saw the ATV coming to within 11 metres of the ISS, before retreating and then performing an escape manouvre to place it in a parking orbit away from the ISS. It is currently rephasing back to the ISS for docking on Thursday April 3rd at 15:41 Irish time (should be broadcast live on Nasa TV).

Youtube video of Demo Day 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hmdEMEDVJA
Retreat and escape manouvre: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7b0Uw17buM

AtomicHorror

Hopefully tomorrow will be a successful day and another boost for the European space programme.

Evil Phil

Do you reckon you could stow away on the ATV? That would be cool. :pac:

AtomicHorror

Evil Phil wrote: »

Do you reckon you could stow away on the ATV? That would be cool. :pac:

I guess the cargo space is probably pressurised but I think the launch itself would not be rated safe for a human.

That said- the fact that we can build a vessel of this size (5 of them in fact) begs the question- when are we going to put a European in orbit under our own steam? I suspect we just lack a suitable launch vehicle at this point.

Scruff

successfully docked. horray!! Go Europe!
Nasa tv is great:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Some interesting evolution options being looked at for the future:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEMNFZOR4CF_0.html

pity they've moved away from winged crew reentry vehicles. spash down capsule recovery is soooo 1960's

Reptileboy

NASA TV is good if you can't get a live feed via one of the news channels such as Sky or the BBC. I can't stand the time lag that exists between the live feed on TV and the one being streamed by NASA on the website.

Good to see the ATV finally dock. Been following this project for a number of years, being a big ISS fan and that. I knew it was big, but I didn't realise just how big until I saw it docked.

Damn the station is really starting to grow. Looks magnificent.

Scruff

Reptileboy wrote: »

I can't stand the time lag that exists between the live feed on TV and the one being streamed by NASA on the website.

Do you have the 2 of them on at the same time? Sure if yer just watching the nasa streamed one ye'll never be able to tell the difference!