ATV Closing in on the target
ESA TV Exchanges
The inaugural mission of Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle, the ATV, culminates this week. The ""Jules Verne"" is due to have its first docking attempt with the International Space Station on 3rd April. But before reaching its target, it will be rehearsing its automatic rendez-vous systems on two ""Demonstration Days"", the first was scheduled on Saturday 29/3. These will confirm the vehicle's readiness to approach and dock safely with the orbital complex. With interviews of John Ellwood, ATV Programme manager, and Jean-François Clervoy, ESA astronaut and ATV senior advisor, the A & B-roll describe the orbital operations since launch on 9 March and the different rendez-vous systems that are used.
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ATV #8 : ""Closing in on the target""
Tape start 10 :00 :00
A-Roll start 10 :01 :00
10:01:40 Since the first space rendez-vous in the sixties, space dockings have become commonplace, particularly with the construction of Salyut, Mir and today the International Space Station.
10:01:55 Although todayís Russian Soyuz and Progress craft have a high degree of automation, these vehicles and the Shuttle still require manual intervention.
10:02:09 Europeís Automated Transfer Vehicle introduces a new generation of spacecraft, capable of entirely automatic rendezvous and dockings.
10:02:19 Clip Jean-François Clervoy, ESA Astronaut & ATV Senior advisor ""It does an automatic rendezvous in a fully autonomous manner, as opposed to Progress or Soyuz which are the only other space vehicles to do automatic rendezvous but where the vehicle needs cooperation of the station. In the case of ATV, it recognises by itself where to go.""
10:02:43 The ATV design relies on multiple systems and t