ATV in-flight fuel for ISS set for mid-May

The ATV Johannes Kepler docked to the international space station. Credit: NASA

ESA automated transfer vehicle Johannes Kepler is more than just a cargo carrier for the international space station, it is also an in-orbit fuel station and orbit booster. On May 17-19, 2011 to the Kepler ATV to conduct his first refuel the ISS, as it increases 850.6 liters (225 gallons) of fuel for the engines of the station for future around in orbit are transmitted.

Preparations for the ISS fuel began on 22 March with a leak test of the propellant transfer lines, to ensure that the connections between the ISS and ATV-2 were completely sealed. the test was a success, which means, that now everything is go to recharge your batteries for the transmitter.

The Johannes Kepler ATV-2 is approaching the international space station. Docking of the two spacecraft 2011. credit occurred on 24 February: NASA

Middle of March the ATV of the ISS orbit with a increased 882 seconds (14 and a half minutes) burn, give the station an extra push of about 2.1 m/s. All in all has Kepler propellant which was used by its thrusters, to the space station, boost almost a new height of 400 kilometers (248 miles) above Earth 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilograms). This will be the new "normal" for the station orbit. Previously, circled the ISS up to about 350 km (220 km).

The amount of fuel required to keep it there more than half lower main advantage which increase of the transmitter is the. This also means that visit vehicles not in a position so much cargo as possible if they were run to the station to reach the station must more fuel in low altitude as they, but it also means that not so much, that cargo has to be propellant.

Influence of ISS orbit which deteriorated, because the atmosphere of the Earth - although is thin at these altitudes - expands and contracts by the Sun, and there are enough molecules that contact the surface of its large solar array panels, its speed to change the large timber-framed construction and pressurized modules, or velocity, which is about 28,000 miles an hour (17,500 mph).

On the ISS old height used to manage the space station about 19,000 pounds of propellant per year to a consistent orbit. At the altitude of new, higher the station will consume expected to about 8,000 pounds propellant per year. And, that is in a significant amount of food, water, clothing, research tools, and samples and spare parts, which are flown on the vehicles of cargo can be the station up to 2020 and beyond operating on the.

Kepler sent also a breath of fresh air to the train station through the transfer of about 8 kg oxygen to the ISS in March, the first re-pressurization of ISS was internal atmosphere under the leadership of Kepler.

A view approaches of the space station as a discovery to the dock. Credit: NASA

Sources: ATV blog, NASA

Tagged as: ATV Johannes Kepler, ISS

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