Tag: ATV
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European duo heading for fiery farewells
Two European spacecraft are currently enjoying their final moments high above the planet, as they continue their descent towards a fiery re-entry. ATV-4 – which recently undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) – is set to re-enter on Saturday, while the GOCE spacecraft has already begun its slow drop towards its ultimate fate. GOCE:…
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ATV-4 bids farewell to ISS following flawless mission
Europe’s ATV-4 cargo vehicle has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday morning at 08:55 GMT, completing a flawless mission ahead of its destructive re-entry. The vehicle provided the orbital outpost with a farewell gift, reboosting the Station’s altitude in its final act prior to undocking. ATV-4: The cargo vehicle was launched on…
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Europe’s ATV heavy hauler launches on penultimate trip to ISS
The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 (ATV-4) spacecraft launched toward the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday at 9:52:11 PM GMT, atop an Ariane V booster from the Kourou Space Center in French Guyana. ATV-4 is the heaviest spacecraft ever launched by Europe, and marks the largest ever load of internal ISS cargo…
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Europe’s ATV-4 prepares for launch amid contributions to future exploration
Europe’s latest space freighter, the Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 (ATV-4), is currently undergoing preparations for a realigned launch date following the replacement of a faulty unit inside the spacecraft. While the primary mission of ATV-4 will be to deliver a large load of cargo and propellants to the International Space Station, it will also help to…
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Sochi Winter Olympics torch relay to include ISS spacewalk
In what will be a truly unique event, the Olympic torch for the 2014 Winter Games will ride up to the International Space Station on Soyuz TMA-11M in November. The simulated flame will then be taken outside of the orbital outpost during Russian EVA-36, before returning to Earth on Soyuz TMA-09M. ISS and the 2014…
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Orion’s ATV Service Module deal may allow ESA astro on EM-2 mission
As was expected, NASA and ESA managers announced the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will live on as the bulk of the Orion Service Module. With an emphasis on international cooperation for Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) exploration, the ATV deal will lead to discussions on allowing an ESA astronaut to ride on Exploration Mission -2…
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UK steps up, as ESA commit to ATV Service Module on NASA’s Orion
The European Space Agency (ESA) have announced they will inform NASA they are ready to build an ATV derived Service Module for Orion, to be ready for the first launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) in 2017. The announcement came after the UK stepped up with additional funding, marking the country’s first real human…
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Europe’s ATV-3 spacecraft makes fiery plunge back into atmosphere
The European Automated Transfer Vehicle-3 (ATV-3) spacecraft, also known as “Edoardo Amaldi”, has successfully concluded it’s near 6.5 month resupply and servicing mission to the International Space Station (ISS) after making a fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere for a destructive re-entry over a remote swath of the Pacific Ocean, where any surviving debris safely splashed…
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ATV-3 finally undocks from the ISS following eventful stay
After accidentally extending its stay at the International Space Station (ISS), Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3) has successfully undocked from the orbital outpost on Friday. The extension of its stay nearly resulted in it conducting a Debris Avoidance Maneuver (DAM) for the ISS on Thursday morning, prior to managers deciding the debris threats would not…
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ISS returns to a six person crew following successful Soyuz TMA-05M docking
The three additional crewmembers of Expedition 32 have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), following the successful docking of their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft on Tuesday morning. Increasing the crew size to six, the Station also received an additional boost late on Tuesday, via a 19 minute firing of the ATV-3 thrusters. ISS Back to…