Updates ESA's ATV-2 "Johannes Kepler"

[Orbinaut Pete]

This thread is for updates on the processing and eventual launch of Europe's ATV-2 "Johannes Kepler".

ATV-2's assembly is nearing completion at the EADS Astrium facility in Bremen, Germany.
BBC News: "Europe prepares to ship second ATV space freighter".

ATV-2 is currently scheduled to launch to the ISS on November 30th 2010, and dock to the aft port of Zvezda on December 17th.

 

[Urwumpe]

ATV-2 is currently scheduled to launch to the ISS on November 30th 2010, and dock to the aft port of Zvezda on December 17th.

Gooooooood!

That means the last resupply ship before Christmas and New Year is no US Shuttle. Nothing against the US spacecraft, really, but some special liquid pieces of cargo are better handled by responsible adults.

 

[garyw]

Watching ATV-1 doing it's abort manoeuvre was very cool, be good to see another ATV up there.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Gooooooood!

That means the last resupply ship before Christmas and New Year is no US Shuttle. Nothing against the US spacecraft, really, but some special liquid pieces of cargo are better handled by responsible adults.

A Cosmonaut's diary :lol:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

ATV-2 STATUS UPDATE

ATV-2's pressurised compartment has arrived at its launch site, the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana, and is being processed for launch.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Here's some fantastic hi-res images of ATV-2's pressurised compartment arriving at Kourou.

Hi-res version.

Hi-res version.

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Europe's second cargo freighter to fly in December:

Europe's second Automated Transfer Vehicle will carry more supplies, propellant and breathing air than its predecessor when it blasts off in December from French Guiana toward the International Space Station.

The program's partners have not officially settled on a target launch date, according to Nico Dettmann, the Johannes Kepler mission manager at the European Space Agency.
...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Launch is now scheduled for December 16, with a docking to the ISS on December 24 - a nice Christmas present for the crew!

ATV will undock from the ISS on May 10, 2011.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: Europe's second cargo freighter to fly in December:

​

From the article:

The ATV's engines will burn about 4,000 kilograms, or 8,800 pounds, of propellant to raise the station's altitude next spring after the final scheduled space shuttle flight in February and March.

The orbit boost will amount to about 40 kilometers, or 25 miles. The station will need fewer reboosts in the future when flying in the higher orbit, which subjects the complex to less drag.

Yesterday's ISS On-Orbit Status Report has the ISS's mean altitude at 355.7 km. Add 40 km to that and the ISS's mean altitude will be 395.7 km! Bearing in mind the article said "about" 40 km, I should imagine they'll boost it right up to 400 km! :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Launch has been pushed into 2011.

The first Ariane 5 launch in 2011 – which will be the 200th Ariane mission – will boost into orbit the Johannes Kepler ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) cargo vessel on a date compatible with the docking slots for the International Space Station (ISS), to be decided by ISS partners. This date will be guaranteed no matter what the schedule is for other Ariane 5 launches, thus confirming the versatility of the European launch system.

Source.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Launch now Feb. 2011! However, due to conflicts with STS-134 and other traffic, I'm hearing that it may become very difficult for ATV-2 to visit the ISS in 2011! :OMG:

Space News: "Range Conflicts Push ATV-2 Launch at Least to February".

 

[orb]

Heavy traffic in space en route to ISS until 2012? :rofl:

Taking the fact that it is pushed by a month every other day now, I won't be surprised if it's launched in 2012 or later.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aviation Week: "Arianespace Shifts ATV Mission".

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: ESA Pushes To Meet ATV-2 Docking Deadline:

PARIS — European Space Agency officials are reasonably sure they can meet a late February docking window for the second Automated Transfer Vehicle, which is needed for an International Space Station (ISS) reboost mission.

The next reboost is needed by mid-2011 to prevent the ISS from descending too low and risking atmospheric re-entry. The space shuttle and Progress resupply ship, as well as the station itself, can perform reboost maneuvers, but the ATV can move it much higher, significantly reducing drag and improving operating efficiencies.
...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space News: "ESA Reassurances Clear Way for Station Cargo Launch Delay".

---------- Post added 1st Oct 2010 at 08:52 PM ---------- Previous post was 30th Sep 2010 at 11:51 PM ----------

New launch date is Tuesday 15th February, with a docking on Saturday 26th February.


International Partners Update Space Station Launch Manifest.

NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) agreed on Friday to update the International Space Station launch schedule.

The target launch dates for the last planned space shuttle flight, STS-134 on Endeavour, will be Feb. 27, 2011, and the Automated Transfer Vehicle-2 (ATV-2) will be Feb. 15. Roscosmos will continue to look at Soyuz launch and landing options to provide manifest robustness.

The agencies agreed to the changes during discussions at the International Astronautical Conference in Prague. Arianespace, whose Ariane 5 rocket will launch ATV-2 into orbit from French Guiana, has confirmed its commitment to launch on Feb. 15.

The STS-134 flight will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the station. The AMS is a state-of-the-art cosmic ray particle physics detector designed to examine fundamental issues about matter, and the origin and structure of the universe. The flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of the AMS to the exterior of the space station using both the shuttle and station arms.

ATV-2, dubbed Johannes Kepler, is scheduled to dock on Feb. 26 to the station. The cargo craft is designed to deliver more than seven tons of experiments, fuel, water, food and other supplies to the space station. While docked, ATV-2 will use its thrusters to periodically boost the station's orbit, which decays with time. It also can be used for emergency maneuvers, such as those required if a piece of space debris is predicted to hit the station. This capability saves critical attitude control propellant for the station.

After about 3.5 months, the ATV-2 will undock from the station and burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean. The first ATV, Jules Verne, was launched in March 2008 and reentered the atmosphere in September 2008.

The space station launch manifest is available at:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html

For details about upcoming shuttle missions and crews, visit:
www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more information about ATV-2, visit ESA at:
www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV

For more information about the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, visit:
www.arianespace.com/launch-services/launch-services-overview.asp

For more information about the space station, visit:
www.nasa.gov/station

---------- Post added 2nd Oct 2010 at 01:22 AM ---------- Previous post was 1st Oct 2010 at 08:52 PM ----------

Spaceflight Now: "One-day delay of final shuttle launch makes room for ATV".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Arianespace: "Europe's second Automated Transfer Vehicle is prepared for its 2011 launch on an Ariane 5".

The ATV Johannes Kepler is shown during processing in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility. In the photo at left, one of the solar arrays is checked after a verification of its deployment sequence from the ATV’s service module. Loading of the ATV’s cargo carrier is shown in the two photos at right.

The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to be orbited on Ariane’s milestone 200th flight is a center of attention at the Spaceport in French Guiana as pre-launch preparations advance with this large resupply vessel for the International Space Station.

Named after the German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler, the ATV is targeted for a February 15, 2011 liftoff on Ariane 5. Its mission will mark the 200th flight of an Ariane since the start of operations with this launcher family in 1979, and is to deploy the ATV in low Earth orbit for a rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Recent ATV Johannes Kepler activity in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility includes loading of the spacecraft’s cargo and a validation of its solar panel deployment sequence.

The February 2011 mission will be Arianespace’s second launch of an ATV, having orbited the ATV Jules Verne in 2008. These unmanned logistics spacecraft are part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation and maintenance. Arianespace is responsible for their launch, with six ATV flights currently included in the company’s manifest.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Arianespace: "Launcher components arrive at the Spaceport for Ariane's historic 200th mission".

The milestone 200th Ariane for launch has been delivered to the Spaceport in French Guiana, where it will be readied for a February 15, 2011 liftoff with Europe’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to service the International Space Station.

This is an Ariane 5 ES version of Arianespace’s heavy-lift launcher, and it will loft the ATV named after German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler, placing it in orbit for a rendezvous with the International Space Station.

The Ariane 5 ES arrived in French Guiana this week aboard the MN Colibri, which is one of two sea-going roll-on/roll-off vessels used by Arianespace to transport launchers and related equipment from their European manufacturers to South America. After docking at Pariacabo Port, the Ariane 5 hardware was unloaded and moved by road to the Spaceport.

Arianespace’s February 2011 mission will mark the second ATV launch, following its successful orbiting of the ATV Jules Verne in 2008. These unmanned logistics spacecraft are part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation and maintenance. All ATVs planned by Europe have been entrusted to Arianespace for launch, with six flights currently included in the company’s manifest.

To date, a total of 196 Ariane flights have been performed since the family of launch vehicles began operation in 1978. The 197th mission is scheduled for October 28, using an Ariane 5 ECA version to orbit the W3B and BSAT-3b telecommunications satellites.

Arianespace operates two versions of Ariane 5: the ES version for flights to low- and medium-Earth orbits; and Ariane 5 ECA for GTO (geostationary transfer orbit) missions.

The protective shipping container with the Ariane 5 ES launcher’s cryogenic core stage arrives at the Spaceport, pulled by a multi-purpose tug vehicle.

---------- Post added at 08:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------

A brief ATV-2 cargo manifest from the Expedition 25/26 press kit.

Cargo Payload:
– 4.4 tons of propellant (reboost and attitude control propellant).
– 1,896 pounds of refuelling propellant for the station’s propulsion system.
– 220 pounds of air (oxygen and nitrogen).
– 1.76 tons of dry supplies like bags, drawers and fresh food.
Total: 7 tons.

 

[IronRain]

ATV-2 Johannes Kepler ready for mating:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Arianespace: "The 200th Ariane launcher takes shape at the Spaceport".

Ariane 5’s core cryogenic stage is raised for its positioning over the mobile launch table inside the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building.

Assembly of the milestone 200th Ariane is now underway at the Spaceport in preparation for its February 2011 mission with Europe’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), which will service the International Space Station.

This Ariane 5 ES version of Arianespace’s workhorse heavy-lift launcher is being assembled in the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building, where activity began mid-week with the core cryogenic stage’s positioning over the mobile launch table. It was followed by rollout of Ariane 5’s two large solid rocket boosters for mating with the core stage.

Ariane 5 is the latest version of Europe’s Ariane launcher family, which began operations in 1979 and has orbited a full range of payloads that include telecommunications satellites, Earth observation and meteorology platforms, space exploration probes, along with defense and security spacecraft.

Arianespace operates two standardized versions of Ariane 5: the ES version for flights to low- and medium-Earth orbits; and the Ariane 5 ECA for GTO (geostationary transfer orbit) missions.

The ATV for next February’s flight is named after German astronomer/mathematician Johannes Kepler, and will be the second such unmanned logistics spacecraft launched by Ariane 5. These ATVs are part of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station’s operation and maintenance.

 

[orb]

Arianespace: Initial assembly of the 200th Ariane is complete.


The completion of initial build-up for the 200th Ariane is shown on below photos.
In the two first images, the Ariane 5’s equipment bay is raised for installation atop the launcher, followed by the EPS upper stage (last 2 photos).