credit: EADS Astrium / caption: The European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle 2 undergoing asembly at an EADS Astrium facility
credit: EADS Astrium / caption: A section of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle undergoing asembly at an EADS Astrium facility
on January 15, 2010 12:12 PM | Reply
.
the ATVs are made like an ISS module since they are pessurized cargo vehicles, so, it's a giant waste of money to burn these expensive vehicles in the atmosphere with the ISS trash
that's why I've suggested to leave them in orbit and use to build a second ISS with artificial gravity:
http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts2/054atvstation.html
.
on January 18, 2010 2:55 AM | Reply
Re: Last post
An intresting proposal, but would Esa really do this, given their funding, or rather the lack of it...?
(I seem to remember a similar proposal regarding the use of the Shuttle's External Tanks in the late 1980's with regards to the then future U.S Space Station).
Incedentally, any idea on which early Science Fiction Author, the next ATV, will be named after...?
on January 18, 2010 7:14 AM | Reply
Still needed is a garbage scow. Stuff has to be got rid of, somehow.
I suggest a Bigelow inflatable.
But where would the ATVs be kept?
They use Russian-side docking adapters and only at one end - no pass-through unlike Piers and Poisk so they can't be strung in a line.
on January 18, 2010 2:51 PM | Reply
"a similar proposal regarding the use of the Shuttle's External Tanks"
no, it's not the same... the ET is only a tank while the ATVs are fully pressurized modules
"Still needed is a garbage scow."
they can use only the Progress that, after released their payload, have enough space for the ISS trash
"no pass-through"
not true, the ATV has a port in both sides
.
on January 19, 2010 9:19 PM | Reply
Gaetano is right ... I just found the schematic for the ATV ,, interesting! Seems like it was designed from the beginning with something like this in mind.
Probably needs added features to do passive docking for the two (auto and manual) docking modes .. but anything like that could be added with an EVA.
Still there are architectural limits .. where would they go?
Also the current plan is to leave an MPLM attached on the US side this September.
That still leaves two (existing, proven, paid-for) MPLMs grounded!
on January 22, 2010 1:15 AM | Reply
Re: MPLM status
Unfortunately, as Ken Kramer's article entitled "One Last Shuttle Flight For NASA...?" published in this month's Spaceflight reveals, Donatello's effectively been cannibalised for spare parts, in order to support Leonardo & Raffaello, while Raffaello needs some work to get it flight ready...
The article itself refers to a possible contingency flight provisionally called STS-135 using Atlantis, to carry Raffaello in order to resupply the ISS, one final time, after the attachment of the Leonardo MPLM permanently to the ISS, sometime in March...
One amusing touch, concerning the MPLM's is the logo for each MPLM, which consist of the Teenage Ninja Turtle in question, wearing a spacesuit & armed with the correct weapon for the comic character...