Albert Einstein ATV

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Albert Einstein (ATV-004)

Albert Einstein (ATV-004) Mission Patch
Type ATV
Organisation ESA
Space station ISS
Station crew none
Contractors EADS Astrium (prime),
Thales Alenia Space, Arianespace (LSP)
Carrier Rocket Ariane 5ES
Launch site Guiana Space Centre
Launch date 5 June 2013[1]
Orbit
Regime LEO
Inclination 51.6°
Mass
Total 20,235 kg (44,610 lb)
Cargo 2,500 kg (5,500 lb)

The Albert Einstein ATV, or Automated Transfer Vehicle 004 (ATV-004), is a European unmanned cargo resupply spacecraft, named after the German-born physicist Albert Einstein.[2] The spacecraft is scheduled for launch in June 2013, on a mission to supply the International Space Station (ISS) with propellant, water, air, and dry cargo. It is the fourth and penultimate ATV to be built, following the Edoardo Amaldi, which was launched in March 2012. Albert Einstein's components were constructed in Turin, Italy, and Bremen, Germany, and underwent final assembly and testing in Bremen in 2012.[3][4]

Albert Einstein will be launched on an Ariane 5ES rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch will be conducted by Arianespace on behalf of the European Space Agency. The spacecraft left Bremen for Kourou on 31 August 2012 to begin launch preparations.[5]

At the time of its launch, Albert Einstein wil be the heaviest spacecraft ever lifted into orbit by an Ariane rocket, with a total mass of 20,235 kilograms (44,610 lb).[1]

ATV missions [edit]

Designation Name Launch date ISS docking date Re-entry date Sources
ATV-001 Jules Verne 9 March 2008 3 April 2008 29 September 2008 [6][7]
ATV-002 Johannes Kepler 16 February 2011 24 February 2011 21 June 2011 [8][9]
ATV-003 Edoardo Amaldi 23 March 2012 28 March 2012 4 October 2012 [10][11][12][13]
ATV-004 Albert Einstein 5 June 2013 15 June 2013 15 October 2013 [14][15]
ATV-005 Georges Lemaître 12 April 2014 N/A N/A [13]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "ATV-4 scheduled for summer liftoff". ESA. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013. 
  2. ^ "ATV-4 to carry name Albert Einstein". ESA. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011. 
  3. ^ "Europe's second cargo freighter to fly in December". Spaceflight Now. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Arianespace... Feeding Amaldi (Launch)". SatNews. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  5. ^ "ATV-4 Albert Einstein en route to Kourou". EADS. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012. 
  6. ^ "Multi-Program Integrated Milestones" (PDF). NASA. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  7. ^ "European Cargo Ship Begins Maiden Space Voyage". Space.com. 9 March 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  8. ^ "Europe's second cargo freighter to fly in December". Spaceflight Now. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2010. 
  9. ^ "One-day delay of final shuttle launch makes room for ATV". Spaceflight Now. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010. 
  10. ^ "Third ATV named after Edoardo Amaldi". ESA. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
  11. ^ "Europe's third cargo vehicle docks with the Space Station". ESA – ATV. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012. 
  12. ^ "Deorbit burns set for Tuesday night/Wednesday morning". ESA ATV blog. Retrieved 2 October 2012. 
  13. ^ a b "Mission accomplished for ATV Edoardo Amaldi". Space-Travel.com. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012. 
  14. ^ "ATV-4 scheduled for summer liftoff". ESA. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013. 
  15. ^ "Fact Sheet – ATV Albert Einstein". ESA. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 

External links [edit]