60th consecutive successful Ariane 5 launch. 5th ATV another record payload for Ariane. ATV technology to be used in new space projects. The 60th consecutive successful launch of the European launcher Ariane 5 sees European space transporter ATV “Georges Lemaître” safely on its way to the International Space Station (ISS). At exactly 8.47 pm (local time) on Tuesday evening, the duo took off from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. With a total weight of almost 20.3 tonnes, ATV “Georges Lemaître” thereby surpassed its four predecessors by being the heaviest payload ever to be launched into orbit by an Ariane. This is the 60th consecutive successful launch of an Ariane 5, reinforcing its position as the world’s most reliable commercial launcher and marking the epilogue of one of Europe’s greatest space successes. ATV is one of the most sophisticated spacecraft ever, able to dock automatically at 28,000 km/h with the accuracy of less than the width of a coin. But this is far from the end! Even when its mission in orbit is over, ATV’s technologies will benefit numerous other space adventures. Although the ATV-5 is the final European space transporter to set out for the ISS, the technology and the expertise gained in developing the ATV will be used in new space projects. For example, Airbus Defence and Space is developing on behalf of ESA the service module for the American human spacecraft “Orion”. It is primarily based on ATV technology and will provide Orion with propulsion and energy, and, for the future human missions, with oxygen, nitrogen and water. Additionally, the expertise gained in developing the autonomous rendezvous and docking system could, for instance, be used to “catch” non-steerable objects such as space debris or asteroids. The technology can also be used to land safely and independently on other planets. Once placed into orbit at an altitude of around 260 kilometres, the ATV-5 deploys its four solar panels, with a wingspan of 22.3 metres, as well as an antenna for communication with the ISS. The ATV “Georges Lemaître” is scheduled to rendezvous with the ISS on 12 August, where it will be received by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst. During the rendezvous with ISS, and a few days prior, during a dedicated ISS fly-under, ATV-5 will activate the LIRIS demonstrator (short for Laser InfraRed Imaging Sensor). LIRIS will acquire in-flight data necessary to prove new rendezvous technologies in particular with non-cooperative targets such as space debris. This experiment will be made possible by a suite of optical sensors developed by Sodern and Jena-Optronik under the Airbus Defence and Space ATV programme. As with previous ATVs, following ATV Control Center authorizations, ATV “Georges Lemaître” will automatically perform the rendezvous manoeuvres in steps, starting about 40 km from the ISS using ATV and ISS relative GPS; then from 250m to the ISS, using its videometers, ATV-5 will align its docking system with the ISS Russian module, and then precisely control its attitude and position to the ISS docking port, with an accuracy of a few centimetres. Once the first contact has been made, the ATV-5 will automatically execute the mechanical and electrical docking procedure, which will connect the cargo vehicle to the ISS. The ATV-5 will then become a fully-fledged operational module, forming part of the Space Station. GTD AT KOUROU SPACE CENTER Since 2003, each time an Ariane 5, a Soyuz or a VEGA are launched from the spaceport in Guiana, as well as the payload, many hours of work are required from GTD’s technical teams. GTD supplies services and software in practically all steps of an Ariane 5 mission – from the launcher's flight program to the responsibility of ground systems that control the launching operations, as well as the radars, telemetry and mission control systems. Each launch is also a challenge for GTD’s team, who is responsible for all the computer systems at the launch site. Each launch is a fresh new project; there is no routine, which means our engineers always embark on an adventure than goes beyond technical jobs that require a lot of responsibility. Countdown: The campaign to prepare a launcher takes about 22 - 30 working days, and a campaign to prepare the payload (satellite) takes from 4 weeks to 5 months (depending on the mission and its magnitude). Our teams are currently able to launch up to seven double Ariane 5, up to four soyuz and up to two Vega per year, that is, 14 telecom satellites and 4 to 6 EO and scientific spacecraft every year. Launch day: The end of the countdown is near. The final operations to fill the liquid propellants on the Ariane 5, and then the ground operation tests are carried out on the launcher. During this stage, gtd's staff is working hard all round the Spaceport. In the launch site's bunker, the technical centre, in Des Pêres Mountain where the radar and telemetry installations are, in the meteorological centre where the last conditions before the launch is authorised. At the same time, a support team is configuring a backup of the computer systems in Barcelona, 8,000 km away from the Ariane 5, which is already letting out oxygen steam. Ariane is launched: Once the launcher is in the air, it is controlled on board (by the embedded computer) and from the Jupiter Control Centre (CDC). These two systems were also designed by GTD’s engineers and are currently being operated by GTD’s engineers, too. Once the launcher releases the payloads (at a height of 500 - 600 km), everyone breathes a sigh of relief and starts clapping and cheering and congratulating each other; but our engineers are already thinking about the next mission that starts the following morning...
