Georges Lemaître ATV explained

Auto:orbit
Georges Lemaître ATV
Insignia:ATV-GeorgesLemaitre.jpg
Mission Type:ISS resupply
Operator:European Space Agency
Cospar Id:2014-044A
Satcat:40103
Spacecraft Type:ATV
Manufacturer:Airbus Defence and Space
Thales Alenia Space
Launch Mass:20293kg (44,738lb)[1]
Launch Date: UTC
Launch Rocket:Ariane 5ES
Launch Site:Kourou ELA-3
Launch Contractor:Arianespace
Disposal Type:Deorbited
Decay Date: UTC
Orbit Epoch:14 December 2014, 02:33:36 UTC[2]
Orbit Reference:Geocentric
Orbit Regime:Low Earth
Orbit Periapsis:412km (256miles)
Orbit Apoapsis:422km (262miles)
Orbit Inclination:51.65 degrees
Orbit Period:92.77 minutes
Apsis:gee
Docking:
Docking Type:dock
Docking Port:Zvezda Aft
Docking Date:12 August 2014, 13:30 UTC
Undocking Date:14 February 2015, 13:42 UTC
Time Docked:186 days, 0 hour, 12 minutes
Cargo Mass:6555kg (14,451lb)
Cargo Mass Press:2622kg (5,781lb)
Cargo Mass Fuel:2978kg (6,565lb)
Cargo Mass Gas:100kg (200lb)
Cargo Mass Water:855kg (1,885lb)
Previous Mission:ATV-4

The Georges Lemaître ATV, or Automated Transfer Vehicle 5 (ATV-5), was a European uncrewed cargo spacecraft, named after the Belgian astronomer Georges Lemaître.[3] The spacecraft was launched during the night of 29 July 2014 (23:44 GMT, 20:44 local time, 30 July 01:44 CEST),[4] on a mission to supply the International Space Station (ISS) with propellant, water, air, and dry cargo. It was the fifth and final ATV to be built and launched. Georges Lemaître was constructed in Turin, Italy, and Bremen, Germany. Cargo loading was completed in Guiana Space Center on 23 July 2014.[5]

Georges Lemaître was launched on an Ariane 5ES rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch was conducted by Arianespace on behalf of the European Space Agency.

Artist Katie Paterson sent artwork to the International Space Station aboard ATV-5.[6] [7] [8]

Mission payload

Georges Lemaître ferried 6.6 tonnes of experiments, spare parts, clothing, food, fuel, air, oxygen and water to the ISS. Included was a Haptics-1 joystick which is an advanced force feedback joystick to be used for physiological experiments on tactile feedback.[5] [9]

In addition to transporting cargo ATV-5 performed 2 experiments:

LIRIS (Laser InfraRed Imaging Sensors) was a new autonomous rendezvous sensor set that allowed future ships to dock with uncooperative targets, like debris or sample capsules - the ATV used a demonstration version of this advanced sensor system instead of the standard optical sensors bouncing light off the reflectors around ISS docking port.[10]

Break-Up Camera recorded the ATV in infrared as it disintegrated during atmospheric reentry above the Pacific Ocean. After completion of recording, a reinforced SatCom capsule doubling as a prototype "black box" began transmitting the recorded data to one of the Iridium satellites through the gap in plasma behind the vehicle.One message was received, which included accelerometer, magnetometer and temperature readings. Transmission of the nearly 6000 images, which were apparently successfully recorded, would have involved further messages. It was unclear why but none of these were received.[11]

CargoMass[12]
Dry Cargo
Water
Oxygen (2 tanks) & Air (1 tank)
Propellant (includes ISS prop support)
Refuelling propellant860kg (1,900lb)
Total cargo
Total launch mass

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lanzamiento del ATV-5 Georges Lemaître (Ariane 5 ES) . Daniel Marín . Eureka . 31 July 2014 . es . Launch of the ATV-5 Georges Lemaître (Ariane 5 ES) .
  2. Web site: ATV 5 Satellite details 2014-044A NORAD 40103 . N2YO . 14 December 2014 . 25 January 2015.
  3. Web site: Fifth ATV named after Georges Lemaître . Feb 16, 2012 . Feb 20, 2012.
  4. Arianespace Flight VA219; Ariane 5 ES – ATV 5: Launch scheduled for Tuesday, July 29 . July 22, 2014 . Arianespace . July 22, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140725174404/http://www.arianespace.com/news-press-release/2014/7-22-2014-VA219-launch-date.asp . July 25, 2014 .
  5. Web site: ATV-5: loaded and locked . 23 July 2014. 25 July 2014.
  6. Web site: Big Cargo Post 5.0 – Orion blog.
  7. Web site: Katie Paterson to Launch Artwork into Orbit | in the Air: Art News & Gossip | ARTINFO.com . 2014-07-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140728232109/http://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheair/2014/07/28/katie-paterson-to-launch-artwork-into-orbit/ . 2014-07-28 . dead .
  8. Web site: Meteorite Sculpture is ISS's First Artwork. 28 July 2014.
  9. Web site: Touchy-Feely joystick heading to space station . 31 July 2014.
  10. Web site: ATV-5 set to test new rendezvous sensors. 18 March 2014. 25 July 2014.
  11. Web site: ATV's internal camera delivered data, but not images. 20 February 2015. 1 April 2016.
  12. Web site: ATV STATUS: Ready for flight. 12 August 2014.