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The ATV's Legacy

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The ATV's Legacy ATV-CC INFORMATION PACKAGE The European cargo control centre Georges Lemaître ATV-5 Mission © CNES/E.Grimault - NASA p. 4 Sommaire p. 8 p. 12 p. 14 p. 16 p. 20 p. 22 p. 24 p. 27 p. 28 Information package ATV-5 2 1. ATV-5 Georges Lemaître Fifth and last European cargo ship for the ISS A constantly-evolving control centre CARGO: ATV-5 sets a new record 2. The ATV Control Centre, hub of operations The control centres ARTEMIS and TDRS, essential relay satellites for the ATV Coordinating ground support facilities 3. Operations carried out at the ATV-CC The different phases • From launch to injection • Phasing • Rendezvous and docking • An ISS module • ATV thrusters boost the ISS • Separation and controlled re-entry into the atmopshere 4. ATV-5 trialling tomorrow’s space hardware ATV-5 Georges Lemaître will test two new types of sensor for ESA High-risk fly-under 5. Mission analysis Space mechanics, an area of CNES expertise ATV-5 will shed light on the ISS’s future re-entry 6. Control centre organisation 7. ATV-CC highlights A mission-by-mission synopsis 8. CNES leaves its mark on human spaceflight The ATV’s legacy Team spirit CNES, the French space agency Contacts Information package ATV-5 3 1 ATV-4 Albert Einstein approaching the International Space Station, just before docking on 15 June 2013. © NASA, 2013 Information package ATV-5 4 ATV-5 Georges Lemaître, fifth and last European cargo ship for the ISS Europe’s fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), named Georges Lemaître after the Belgian physicist behind the Big Bang theory, is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) in the summer of 2014. The five ATVs are part of ESA’s contribution to ISS operating costs. Like the previous four ATVs, it will resupply the ISS with food, water, oxygen, fuel, spare parts and scientific equipment. During its six months in space, ATV-5 will regularly raise the ISS orbit to compensate for the station’s gradual decrease in altitude due to atmospheric drag. Its thrusters can also correct the ISS’s attitude to avoid orbiting debris or facilitate the docking of visiting spacecraft. The ATV is one of the most complex vehicles developed by ESA not only because of its fully automated docking with the ISS, but also because of its exceptional size and the severe safety constraints applied to human spaceflight. A constantly-evolving control centre On 16 December 1998, the ESA Ministerial Council assigned the development and CSG, 2014 CNES/ESA/Arianespace/Optique Vidéo operation of the ATV Control Centre to ATV-5 at the Guiana CNES because of the French space agency’s Space Centre before integration on Ariane competence in the field of human spaceflight For this last mission to the ISS, ATV-CC 5 ES. and satellite operations. The ATV-CC, as it is engineers have some specific missions to add commonly known, is located on the premises to their routine tasks. ATV-5 will test ESA’s new of the Toulouse Space Centre. Interfacing with sensors, the first step towards a rendezvous the Moscow and Houston Mission Control with an uncooperative target such as debris or Centres, it is responsible for conducting ATV an asteroid. The other main difference lies in operations and coordinating all the ground the re-entry conditions, designed to pave the support facilities needed. way for ISS deorbiting operations in the future. Information package ATV-5 5 © CNES/ESA/Arianespace/Optique Vidéo CSG, 2014 © CNES/ESA/Arianespace/Optique Vidéo CARGO: ATV-5 sets a new record Weighing in at 20,235 kg, ATV Georges Lemaître carries the heaviest ATV shipment so far Food, clothing, tools Gas, a breath of fresh air Almost all the bays were loaded with dry ATV-5 Georges Lemaître can transport dif- cargo in March 2014. Four racks near the ferent types of gas, namely oxygen, air and main hatch will remain empty until a few nitrogen. Oxygen is used to increase pres- days prior to launch. The ATV is carrying 14 sure in the station, while air (21% of which bags of freight for ESA and 83 for NASA. is oxygen) is usually for rapid pressurisation ATV-5’s dry cargo, including onboard equip- following extra-vehicular activity. ATV-5’s ment, weighs 2,647 kg. three tanks have all been filled, one with 33.33 kg of air and the remaining two with 66.67 kg of oxygen. Italian spring water The ATV freighter is also carrying 848.3 kg of “Russian” water for orbital use. There are Nearly 3 tonnes of fuel two types of drinking water on the Interna- One of the ATV’s key missions is fuel resup- tional Space Station because the Russians ply. Of all the ISS supply ships, the Automa- and Americans add different disinfecting ted Transfer Vehicle carries the most fuel. agents (silver or iodine ions respectively) to This year, of the nearly three tonnes flown prevent the spread of bacteria. For the first on board, 860 kg will be transferred to the time, the three ATV water tanks have been Russian segment’s fuel tanks. It will allow filled to the brim for the launch. The ATV fills the ISS to perform its own attitude control the tanks with water from a spring near Tu- manoeuvres when there is no docked space- rin, Italy, with a high natural mineral content. craft to provide thrust. ATV-5 will be keeping The cargo ship will also be delivering the 2,218 kg for its own approach manoeuvres Fluids Control Pump Assembly (FCPA), a cri- and for correcting the ISS’s attitude and tical component of the system that recycles raising its orbit once docked. The ATV will urine into drinking water, vital to the astro- also need fuel after separation for deorbiting nauts’ daily life. boosts. Information package ATV-5 6 ATV-5 Cargo LIQUID TOTAL CARGO CARGO 3,926 kg 6,574 Kg DRY CARGO 2,647 Kg > Fuel for the ATV: 2,118 kg / Fuel for the ISS tanks: 860 kg > Water: 848 kg > Air and oxygen: 100 kg © ESA Mission synopsis ATV1 ATV2 ATV3 ATV4 ATV5 Total launch mass 19,011 kg 19,709 kg 19,726 kg 19,837 kg 20,235 kg Fuel for the ISS 860 kg 860 kg 860 kg 860 kg 860 kg Dry cargo 1 ,150 kg 1,605 kg 2,200 kg 2,489 kg 2,647 kg Water 284 kg 0 kg 284 kg 564 kg 848,3 kg Gas 20 kg 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg 100 kg Waste loaded for the return trip 1,094 kg 1,300 kg 1,340 kg 2,260 kg ? Total re-entry mass 13,437 kg 13,808 kg 14,058 kg 16,477 kg ? During operations to unload the cargo from ATV-4 in 2013. © NASA © NASA Information package ATV-5 7 2 The ATV Control Centre in Toulouse. © CNES, S.Girard, 2013 Information package ATV-5 8 The ATV Control Centre, hub of operations The ATV-CC, located The Moscow mission control in Toulouse centre (MCC-M) The ATV-CC is in charge of conducting ATV This operates the Russian service module to operations and coordinating the necessary which the ATV will be docking, and is therefore ground support facilities. Specifically developed the main contact point during ATV operations. for ATV operations, the nominal control centre, It also handles the Station’s reboosting phases. as well as the emergency centre and a test platform, conduct the ATV mission operations. The crew’s role On board the ISS, the crew prepares the The Houston mission control station to receive the transfer vehicle, oversees centre (MCC-H) the rendezvous and the docking operations This operates the American part of the (intervenes if necessary to interrupt them or International Space Station. It is the supreme cancel the approach), and finally transfers the authority for all operations linked to the ISS. If ATV cargo into the station, and the station need be, for example in the case of a hurricane, waste into the ATV on its return. it may be replaced by an emergency centre located in Huntsville, Alabama. Luca Parmitano and Alexander Misurkin monitor the approach and docking phases of ATV-4 Albert Einstein from the Zvezda module. © NASA, 2013 Information package ATV-5 9 Top left: the Control Centre for the American part of the ISS, in Houston. Top right: the TSOUP Control Centre in Moscow. © NASA/JOHNSON SPACE CENTER © NASA/JOHNSON SPACE © RKK Bottom left: the Redu centre in Belgium. Bottom right: the Jupiter Room at the Guiana Space Centre © ESA - D. Galardin © ESA CSG/JM Guillon © CNES/ESA/Arianespace/Optique Vidéo Coordinating ground support facilities The ATV-CC is part of an international ground segment which involves many partners: - NASA with the Houston control centre - The Guiana Space Centre (Kourou), which implements the American ground launch site for the Ariane launcher which support facility (in particular the TDRS is carrying the ATV on board. tracking systems), As well as the usual activities of - The Russian space agency with the maintaining the various control centre TSOUP control centre (Moscow), tools in operating condition (tracking and steering the cargo vehicle, calculating - ESA with the European network control manoeuvres and trajectories, flight centre at DLR in Germany and the plan management), one of the ATV- ARTEMIS satellite piloted from Belgium CC’s tasks is to ensure consistency in Redu. in the entire ground support system (basically reservation of resources and their operational coordination with the partners).
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