Jules Verne makes successful Journey to the Orbit of the Earth

William Atkins
Sunday, 09 March 2008 10:48

Science - Space

Everything was nominal at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, as a modified European Ariane 5 rocket lifted the 20-ton-plus Jules Verne automated transfer vehicle (ATV) off the launch pad at 1:03:04 a.m. local time (10:03:04 Central Standard Time) Saturday, March 8, 2008.         

The Jules Verne will remain in orbit for approximately four weeks to make complex tests of its systems. It is the first flight of a series of six ATVs set to launch over the next seven years by the European Space Agency.

The 32-foot (10-meter) long ATV is about 14.7 feet (4.5 meters) in diameter [Author: corrected]. Its cargo bay holds equipment, clothes, and food for the crew of the International Space Station. It will also deliver rocket fuel for the ISS.

The ATV will be positioned below the ISS in its orbit. It will remain about 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers) away from the station while NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour, and its STS-123 crew, launches on March 11 for its sixteen-day flight to deliver the first part of the Japanese Kibo scientific laboratory and the Canadian Dextre robot.

The Jules Verne will dock with the Space Station on April 3, 2008, using its global positioning satellite (GPS) system. It will position itself about 815 feet (249 meters) behind the ISS’ Russian Zvezda service module.

The Jules Verne will begin to approach the space station. It will then retreat two times from the space station to further test its systems to escape from the ISS if the case should ever arise. Eventually, it will make its final approach to rendezvous with the ISS.

At that point it will beam laser pulses toward the station in order to determine its exact position in relation to the ISS. Other sensors will further measure its relative position so that it will eventually approach and dock to the space station at about 0.1 meter per second.

After securing itself to a Russian docking module, the Jules Verne will boost the ISS to a higher orbit and transfer additional fuel to the space station. After about six months attached to the ISS, the ATV will leave with its cargo filled with trash and other unnecessary equipment and materials.

The Jules Verne will be de-orbited by a controlled maneuver. It will disintegrate over the Pacific Ocean as it descends into the Earth’s atmosphere.

The ESA becomes the third organization to have launch capabilities to the International Space Station, with NASA (United States) and Roskosmos (Russia) being the other two organizations.