ATV Launch slips to '07

[flynn]

<b>Technical challenges push the launch of the ATV to 2007</b><br /><br /><i>7 November 2005</i><br />Today, about 98 percent of the hardware for Jules Verne, Europe’s first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) spaceship, considered to be the most complex space vehicle ever developed in Europe, is already assembled and almost ready to fly.<br /> <br />"Obviously we cannot launch unless we have everything 100 percent ready and fully tested", said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. "The extensive three-year test campaign on such a complicated programme -- with its unavoidable problems and delays -- will push us back by almost one year, to 2007." <br />Since summer 2004, the Jules Verne spaceship has been progressively tested and assembled at ESA's research and technology centre, ESTEC, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Hundreds of integration operations, hardware checks and functional tests of the 19.7-tonne vessel have been achieved successfully, at times requiring new technical solutions, minor changes and a lot of fine-tuning. <br /><br />The technical complexity of this ESA programme, which also involves close cooperation with NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos and several Russian aerospace companies, had already caused a two-year delay of the inaugural launch, to 2006. But some hardware failures occurred earlier this year and have impacted the campaign schedule with a snowball effect, now delaying the launch to 2007. <br /><br />Full Story <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[n_kitson]

Bad news. I used to be pretty excited about the ATV, but it is looking more and more like a white elephant. Given the state of the entire ISS program, we probably won't see more than a handful of ATVs flying - at most.<br /><br />The delays are a real pity. It would have been nice to see the ATV filling the void created by the grounded shuttle flights.

 

[mattblack]

Bad news alright, potentially worse than Shuttle delays in the long term. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Very disappointing indeed, however I guess its best these things show up in testing now and not during launch or even docking.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"Bad news alright, potentially worse than Shuttle delays in the long term."<br /><br />Not really. We need something and we also have the HTV. But this is the nature - find the problems now. This is an ambitious project - not the least is having a vehicle controlled by multiple countries.

 

[radarredux]

General questions:<br /><br />(1) How much will each ATV mission cost?<br /><br />(2) Who is going to pay for the missions?<br /><br />(3) When the ATV was first proposed, the shuttle was suppose to fly cargo too. Now with the shuttle retiring upon completion of ISS, has the number of expected ATV mission increased upwards?

 

[SpaceKiwi]

I have a feeling when this was discussed before that there was going to be as few as 6 ATV flights? I certainly hope it is going to have a future beyond ISS, but I had the impression it was a mission-specific project designed to flex ESA muscles in the construction department, and meet obligations in the cooperation department. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[elguapoguano]

I seem to remember that same number, only 6 were to fly, with an option for more, 8 to 10 total I believe... Not enough to fill the gap that will be left behind by Shuttle. A CEV derived cargo craft is supposed to fly too, but that wouldn't be till 2012 at the very earliest. Makes me wonder if she will ever get a full crew of 6-7.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ff0000"><u><em>Don't let your sig line incite a gay thread ;>)</em></u></font> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Makes me wonder if she will ever get a full crew of 6-7.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Yes, it will be fascinating to see how things play out. If the CEV gains momentum, and a bit of 'go-fever' intensifies focus on the Moon program, I hope it won't be to the detriment of the ISS.<br /><br />However, then again, it may allow the ESA, JAXA, etc to grow into a bigger role with ISS to the benefit of the industry as a whole. And, there are the privateer 'wild-cards' who could step up as well. It would be great to see NASA engaging the CEV in a dual role though. Missions to ISS, missions shaking down the Moon tech. The ISS could become busier than ever. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">only 6 were to fly, with an option for more, 8 to 10 total I believe...</font>/i><br /><br />But who pays for the initial six or the optional 2-4 more? Is it ESA's responsibility to pay for them or NASA's? Has either organization set aside the money to pay for these?<br /><br />The same questions, I presume, can be posed of the Japanese HTV.</i>