Europe and the ISS
How does this space freighter work?
The term “cargo” or “freighter” is a bit misleading. In truth the ATV has a limited lifespan and is not intended to be brought back to earth. In fact, this automatic vehicle is a model of dedication… and sacrifice. Explanation.
Life expectancy: 6 months
What’s critical in space is fuel. We saw that with the satellites: a satellite that has run out of fuel is a dead satellite because it is more expensive to supply than to let it slowly disintegrate in the atmosphere. It’s the same with the ATV: after six months it has used up all its fuel re-boosting the ISS. Then the crew fill it with all the station’s waste, and from Earth it is detached from the station to fall into earth’s atmosphere where it will burn up together with its contents.
Automatic, OK, but who’s in charge?
So that the ATV can carry out its mission, a control centre, called ATV-CC, was recently set up at the Toulouse Space Centre. Run by the CNES*, France’s National Centre for Space Studies, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA)*, it will be responsible for running the operations. The ATV-CC creates the mission plan, and prepares and then checks the control tools. It monitors the various phases of the ATV’s flight, docking, stabilisation operations and change of orbit, and then at the end of the mission, detachment of the vessel from the ISS, leaving orbit and re-entry into the atmosphere. The ATC-CC works in direct coordination with the ISS control centres in Moscow and Houston.
Sur le même thème
Preparing for take off
The ATV or automated transfer vehicule
