 |
'Jules Verne' ATV Launch Video
Jules Verne, the European Space Agency's new Automated Transfer Vehicle, lifted off successfully today. The Ariane 5ES rocket, which was making its maiden flight, lifted off from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre at 04:03:04 GMT this morning.
(Ariane-5ES rocket)
The ATV is carrying eight tons of wet and dry cargo for the International Space Station. Prior to making a rendezvous with the space station, the ATV will spend several weeks in a calibration and testing mode. It will then spend about a week catching up with the ISS and then "park" about 1200 miles away to wait until after the space shuttle Endeavour comes and goes from its own mission before attempting its own autonomous docking.
The autonomous docking process will be accomplished with the aid of two new laser sensing systems that will pinpoint the ISS for docking.
(Jules Verne ATV chasing the ISS)
The Jules Verne ATV has a few special commemorative items on board, including a copy of "De la Terre à la Lune and Autour de la Lune" published during Verne's lifetime.
(Copy of "De la Terre à la Lune and Autour de la Lune"
sent to the ISS aboard the Jules Verne ATV)
Check out this video of the launch of the Jules Verne ATV; very nice video also demonstrates how the ATV is transported to the launch pad.
(Jules Verne ATV Launch video)
The most impressive feature of the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle is that it doesn't waste any space or resources on a pilot and crew. The ATV will dock with the ISS in a completely autonomous mode. The ISS crew will have a "red button" to push if they think that the ATV is misbehaving.
I don't know who first thought of the idea of a completely autonomous take-off and docking process; here's a nice shot of the automated transfer pod from the movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It performed a picture-perfect automatic docking.
(Automated shuttle from Star Trek IV)
Read more at Europe's 'Jules Verne' Spacecraft Carries Author's Notes on Maiden Voyage and the Jule's Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) ESA home page.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 3/9/2008)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 1 )
Related News Stories - (" Spacecraft ")
'Jules Verne' ATV Launch Video
Very nice work by the ESA on the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle - can you think of an earlier fictional reference to a vehicle capable of automated space docking?
Mercury 'Spider' Has Fans Seeing Babylon 5 Shadow Ships
The mysterious spider feature on Mercury - there's nothing like it elsewhere in the solar system.
SpaceShipTwo Spaceliners From Virgin Galactic
Remarkable aeronautical designs from Virgin Galactic take you to the very edge of space.
Lorentz-Actuated Orbit Spacecraft May Ride Planetary Magnetic Fields
Interesting proposal by NASA to fund research on the last known propellantless propulsion method.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
Put MercuryHouseOne Anywhere
Perhaps looking out through the spray of Victoria Falls.
Computational Wood: Grow Circuits In Living Trees
Just tap into the information tree.
SIRI Virtual Assistant Like Pohl's Joymaker
Man Forrester! Your joymaker is ready.
Liquid Glass Universal Spray-On Protectant
Also used to protect galactic way stations.
WIND Wearable Robot Controller
Robot wirelessly sense, robot do.
Gesture Cube Touch-Free Input
Just think of the gestures you'll use!
IMPASS Robot 'Smart Wheel' Video
I love it when good robot research comes together.
Predator, Prey Robots Evolve
Humanity must make a choice about robot evolution.
Mind-Control Lights At Vancouver Olympics
Bringing The Game to the Olympic Games.
PALRO Companion Robot
Who's your favorite companion robot?
Wasabi Smoke Alarm Now Available
It's an odalarm!
Spyder Olympic GS Suit With d3o
An impact suit made with a shear thickening material.
First Transistor That Mimics Brain Synapse
The Nexus Six phone will need a Nexus-6 brain.
Legged Squad Support System Monster BigDog Robot
A robotic pack mule for soldiers.
Implantable Energy-Harvesting Rubber Sheets
Take a deep breath, and power up that cell phone!
Bose Ride System Smooths Your Ride
Ride the spaceways - uh, roads - in comfort.
