European Space Agency Launches New Orbital Supply Ship

erik.martino brings us a story about the European Space Agency's successful launch of a new type of cargo ship to resupply the ISS. The first Automated Transport Vehicle (ATV), named after Jules Verne, is the "very first spacecraft in the world designed to conduct automated docking in full compliance with the very tight safety constraints imposed by human spaceflight operations." Among other things, it carries water, oxygen, and propellant to help boost the ISS to a higher orbit. We recently discussed NASA's need for a new cargo transport system. Quoting: "Beyond Jules Verne, ESA has already contracted industry to produce four more ATVs to be flown through to 2015. With both ESA's ATV and Russia's Progress, the ISS will be able to rely on two independent servicing systems to ensure its operations after the retirement of the US space shuttle in 2010. It incorporates a 45-m3 pressurised module, derived from the Columbus pressure shell, and a Russian-built docking system, similar to those used on Soyuz manned ferries and on the Progress re-supply ship. About three times larger than its Russian counterpart, it can also deliver about three times more cargo."

Comments

Re:Can also carry people

[ColdWetDog]

but it costs a lot money to get 'em into orbit, and keeping them there would most likely be less expensive than launching something else if/when we need an orbital taxi for something.

I'll bet your the kind of guy who has every last bit of computer junk you've ever bought stuffed in closets somewhere because you might need it "for something". Then you find out that nobody uses parallel ports anymore ...

The flaw in your argument is that you think that leaving orbiting stuff up there is "just" simple. And cheap.

In reality, moving anything in space is expensive. Keeping track of things in space is expensive and time consuming. Keeping stuff in any particular place in space is expensive, time consuming, a significant engineering problem and doesn't always work out."Stuff" (especially stuff that supposed to do something) wears out in space. It's a very hostile environment.

We don't have those cute little space tugs that folks envision to run around and hoover up the mess we're making. When / if those appear it might make sense to keep stuff up there "just in case". Right now, it's better to just clean out the closet.