The first European Automated Transfer Vehicle launched to the International Space Station from Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket at 11:03 p.m. EST Saturday.

Solar arrays deployed as planned after two engine firings more than an hour and a half after launch. That placed the ATV in a parking orbit about 1,200 miles from the station.

The high-capacity unpiloted cargo carrier is, at almost 22 tons, the largest cargo ever launched by the Ariane 5.

This vehicle is named Jules Verne after the acclaimed French science-fiction author. It is the first of at least seven such spacecraft to be built.

The ATV can carry more than 7.5 tons of cargo. That is about three times the cargo weight carried by the Progress, the reliable Russian unpiloted cargo carrier.

The spacecraft can carry dry cargo – food and other supplies and equipment—as well as water, propellant for the station, and gases, including air and oxygen.

The Jules Verne initially was placed in an orbit a safe distance from the station, where a series of tests will be performed. Subsequent tests scheduled include two approaches to the station.

Those approaches will end in "escape" maneuvers, in part to verify the collision avoidance system. It would be used if the ATV automated docking system should fail.

The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the station in early April. It will remain there, for unloading and subsequent filling with station garbage and discards, until August. Then it will be deorbited for destruction on re-entry over the Pacific.

Well it was a great launch that early morning (for europeans) But after about 30 seconds there was nothing to see, because on the deep clouds and the rain.

Nevertheless after having some problems with cutoff threshold in the propulsion system ATV reached it parking position 2000 km in front of the ISS (resides there till MAR28th).

All test especially the CAM (collision avoidance manouvre) went well.


I tried to emulate something like a mission control center

Mission Controlcenter - http://thomas-wehr.homeip.net/space/missioncontrolcenter.php




This is only a sample (updated every minute) you will find some more and may sit yourself on the STS / ISS / ATV and travel around the earth.

I am looking forward for the two demonstration days (1st will be March 29 - distance to ISS 3.6km / 2nd March 31 11 meters behind ISS)where it will come close to the ISS and goes back to a safety position 39km behind ISS and the docking day April 3rd.

Enjoy
Thomas Wehr
Germany

I Hope this is of any kind of interest:
NASA


MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-065



NASA AIRS NEW SPACECRAFT'S MANEUVERS AND DOCKING TO SPACE STATION

HOUSTON -- Less than three weeks after its maiden launch, the European Space Agency's Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV, is set to begin a series of automated approaches and make an eventual docking with the International Space Station. NASA Television will broadcast the most critical maneuvers on March 31 and April 3, with commentary from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

During the docking, the spacecraft will be controlled by engineers at the ESA ATV Control Center in Toulouse, France, working with flight controllers at the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow, and at Johnson. On March 31, NASA TV coverage will begin at 9 a.m. CDT as the ATV begins an approach to the station from two miles away. A series of engine firings will bring the cargo ship to within
36 feet of the station before the Expedition 16 crew sends an abort command to move the ATV away from the complex for its final approach three days later. These maneuvers will test all of the ATV's vital systems, which are required for a safe automated linkup to the station.

On April 3, NASA TV coverage will begin at 7 a.m. as the cargo ship closes in for docking to the rear port of the station's Zvezda service module. Docking is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. A briefing with NASA Flight Director Brian Smith will air on NASA TV at 11:30 a.m.
Questions will be taken from media at participating NASA locations.

The ATV will remain at the space station until early August. After undocking, it will perform a deorbit maneuver and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Additional ATVs are planned to launch in the future. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

HERE you may find an update of the ATV/Jules Verne Preliminary Rendezvous Timeline.

If you may follow them flying around the earth you may use following live simulation including NASA-TV which you'll find arranged on the mission control center simulation.

Demo Day 2 has begun. You may watch the closeup of the ATV Jules Verne on NASATV or

http://thomas-wehr.homeip.net/space/missioncontrolcenter.php

Yesterday was the second Demonstration day. It was really great to see the ATV Jules Verne approaching the stations Zvesda module.

ATV some miles away


ATVs docking video system Jules Verne 246m away


ATV some 32m away


ATV some few meters away Zvesda module left handed


Some thermal covers are not in their original "position" this seems also to be the reason for some 320Watts higher thermal electricity consumption.

Jules Verne is now on the way (on a higher orbit than ISS) back to the starting point 39km behind ISS. The ATV surrounds the ISS with that manouvre.
More information:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/index.html
Enjoy Thomas

Today @ 14:45UTC ATV docked to the Zvezda module on the ISS. It has been reported on NASA TV as "a textbook docking on its maiden flight".

Many congrats to the teams
Thomas