Jules Verne ATV under control after a textbook launch

An absolutely perfect launch brought Jules Verne ATV into orbit after a textbook countdown and mission of the Ariane 5 launcher. All the events occurred on time, the multiple re-ignition of the specially designed Ariane 5 upper stage went off absolutely as predicted. Jules Verne ATV separated as foreseen and was injected in the correct orbit. Communication between the spacecraft and the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse confirmed that the spacecraft was responding nominally.

All navigation systems onboard, the star-trackers, the GPS system are working nominally and the solar arrays, which deployed very smoothly, are delivering full power. However the spacecraft on board computers detected a slight difference in pressure between the oxidizer and the fuel that compose the propellant. This caused the ATV to immediately switch over to the second of four propulsion chains, as it is designed to do.

Link: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM7S1L26DF_index_0.html

Time: 9. Mar. 2008

Feed: ESA Top News

Topics: after, atv, control, jules, launch, textbook, verne