Q about Jules Verne ATV

[richalex]

Teh "Jules Verne" Automated Transfer Vehicle is supposed to carry cargo to the ISS, dock, then serve as a garbage dumpster before finally re-entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up. How is this any different from the Soyuz supply ships? What improvement does the ATV bring?

 

[Zipi]

Hi, and please forgive my noobness around here, but I want to participate to this discussion. <br /><br />If I have understood correctly the Soyuz is mainly ment for a crew transport vehicle and it has very limited cargo capatibilities. I guess you ment the russian Progress unmanned cargo ship which ferries the goods to the space station pretty often...<br /><br />ATV has three times the cargo capatibility than the Progress and I guess that it is able to ferry scientific cargo racks to the ISS. Or at least it would make sense to carry these racks with the ATV because europe has now its own laboratory which still has some space left for new experiments.<br /><br />ATV also utilizes europe's Ariane 5 rocket which is designed to be a man rated vehicle... I guess this means softer ride to the orbit and maybe makes possible to ferry more fragile cargo to the ISS than with the Progress.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Transfer_Vehicle<br /><br />If I'm wrong with the some of my speculations, please correct me! It is always nice to learn something new. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[nibb31]

Yes, the ATV can carry something like 4 times the cargo of a Progress vehicle, basically replacing the MPLM shuttle missions.<br /><br />It uses the russian docking ports, allowing it to dock automatically, like progress. However, these ports are too small to transfer standard science racks used by the station. Those racks will have to go up on the remaining shuttle MPLM flights or on the future japanese HTV.<br /><br />The HTV will rendezvous with the station but will be berthed using the robotic arms to the CBM docking ports. It will not dock autonomously.

 

[thinice]

<i>ATV also utilizes europe's Ariane 5 rocket which is designed to be a man rated vehicle... I guess this means softer ride to the orbit and maybe makes possible to ferry more fragile cargo to the ISS than with the Progress.</i><br /><br />The Progress is launched by a human rated vehicle too.

 

[Zipi]

Oh yes... Progress uses the same rockect as Soyuz. I have always tought that Progress uses Proton. And what comes to a smooth ride, Soyuz rocket seems to offer pretty silky ride to the orbit, or at least those videos inside from the Soyuz capsule are showing.<br /><br />And the interesting point is that Progress is also man rated vehicle:<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_spacecraft<br /><br />But I guess that it has never been used for person transport... Or at least it would be a one way ticket without any escape possibility prior docking. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[holmec]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>How is this any different from the Soyuz supply ships? What improvement does the ATV bring?<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Well, the ATV's are bigger than the progress. Also its part of the barter system for ESA involvement in ISS. One major thing that it uses a new automated docking system based on US communications statelite data (TDRSS I believe). It is also the first space craft of its kind to be build by Europe. It also docks to the Russian side, and its Service Module is based on Soyuz.<br /><br />Sure ATV and Progress have the same fuction, but it takes a lot of logistics to keep ISS running. So the bigger the fleet of cargo craft the better. <br /><br />So with Progress, ATV, and HTV (Japan's cargo ship) there's a good base for cargo. But that's not the end of the story. STS is going away. And the Orion craft could carry cargo to ISS, but also NASA is hoping to enlist commercial companies to bear some of the load. Namely SpaceX with their Dragon spaceship and Falcon 9 launcher. <br /><br />here's a two page info paper on ATV from ESA <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[vulture2]

Perhaps a berthing port could be added to the back end of the ATV, allowing it to be moved to a berthing port with the SSRMS after it docks; this would avoid blocking the Soyuz and also allow larger payloads to be installed.

 

[holmec]

And there are other ports for the Soyuz. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>