March 8, 2008: Maiden Voyage of 'œJules Verne' to Space Station

William Atkins
Tuesday, 04 March 2008 23:32

Science - Space

For its first slight, the Jules Verne ATV will remain in orbit for about one month in order to conduct tests on its systems.

During this time, it will practice rendezvous simulations, along with contingency techniques.

In upcoming missions, ATV spacecraft will nominally travel for about two days before docking at the Russian Service Module Zvezda on the ISS.

Such nominal missions for the ATVs will carry propellant, water, air, payload and experiments to crews onboard the space station.

The Jules Verne ATV will begin approaching the International Space Station on March 31, 2008, for its eventual docking on April 3.

It will stay at the station until early in August 2008.

At which time, it will undock from the Space Station, and eventually be de-orbited with a controlled burn.

It will disintegrate on its way through the atmosphere of the Earth.

For coverage of the event on NASA TV, please go to: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The ESA Spacecraft Opertions website for the ATVs is: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEM2AGPR4CF_0.html.