mercredi 28 mars 2012

The mission of ATV-3: "Edoardo Amaldi" final rendezvous and docking maneuver with the ISS












ESA - ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" Mission patch.

28/03/2012

Automated Transfer Vehicle ATV-3, launched March 23 from the Guiana Space Centre, close to its ultimate goal - the International Space Station (ISS).

ATV3 is on track to dock with the ISS

Flight of the truck from the European launch and before docking with the Russian module "Zvezda" clock controlled by the ISS mission control specialist centers in the Moscow suburb of Korolev, Toulouse (France) and Houston (USA).

ATV-3 docking on ISS

Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and the Russian Space Agency ESA astronaut Andre Cowper from the ISS, carrying at the moment space watch on board the orbital station, will also oversee the operations of docking to provide a high level of accuracy required at all stages of convergence ATV / Russian module "Zvezda".

Oleg Kononenko and Andre Cowper: training with ATV-3 docking with the ISS

After docking and connection of all the crew interfaces can open the hatch and enter in a sealed compartment ATV. Since then, Andre Cowper will be responsible for logistical operations on a ship.

Joining the European space truck with the ISS is docked at 02.34 GMT on March 29.

The ISS crew is working 30/31-y long expedition in the Commander Daniel Burbank (NASA), flight engineers Anton Shkaplerova (Roscosmos), Anatoly Ivanishin (Roscosmos), Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos), Andre Cowper (ESA) and Donald Pettit (NASA) .

Image, Text, Videos, Credits: Press Service of the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos PAO) / NASA TV / ESA / Translation: Orbiter.ch.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch