ATV-2, Europe's heaviest spacecraft

Date- 27th Jan 11 Source- http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmghome.pl

'On the 15 February 2011, ESA will be making history by launching its heaviest spacecraft. Ariane 5 will be carrying ATV-2, Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle, its space freighter for the International Space Station. Named after the German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler, the ATV-2 is the first in a series of regular missions, after the inaugural flight of the Jules Verne in 2008.
This video details why the Johannes Kepler is 600 kg heavier than the Jules Verne, describes the cargo that it carries and the late cargo access which is being used for the first time. It includes interviews with Nico Dettmann, Head of ATV Production at ESA and his colleague Charlotte Beskow, ATV-2 deputy Mission Manager.'

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ESA
• ariane
• atv-2
• nasa

[FantasticBob7000]

@humbleu How are you correlating the two?

[mrteemumilto]

@KDaem Or to make is cheaper.

[maurotamm]

thats a solution to the space junk issue? -_- what a waste of money, time and resources.

Rather build the modules so that they could be refit as a part of the space-station - ether as a extra storage space, a reservoir for samples, fuel, O2, water and other resources. Including several interchangeable spare parts in case of emergency.

[KDaem]

@humbleu because it needs to break up and disintegrate upon return to earth

[humbleu]

Why did´t they build it higher, so there would be less friction with the atmosphere?