Europe's Second ATV Is Prepared For Its 2011 Launch
Paris, France (SPX) Oct 08, 2010 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.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Arianespace Station at NASA Station and More at Roscosmos S.P. Korolev RSC Energia Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com
ISS Crew Hard At Work As New Crew Members Prepare For Launch Houston TX (SPX) Oct 07, 2010 The Expedition 25 crew has been working on the International Space Station's treadmill located inside the Russian segment. The treadmill is disassembled, inspected then reassembled as part of its six-month maintenance schedule. Photographs are taken of the exercise device's parts and downlinked to Earth for analysis by specialists. Commander Doug Wheelock continues working on the Oxy ... read more |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |