. Solar Energy News .




.
STATION NEWS
Learn to dock ATV the astronaut way
by Staff Writers
Paris (ESA) Apr 12, 2012

ATV Edoardo Amaldi and the International Space Station firing their thrusters to boost the orbital outpost's orbit. This shot was captured by ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers during his PromISSe mission. Credits: ESA/NASA.

Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? ESA is making actual astronaut training available on your computer and tablet, so you can see for yourself.

ESA's third Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV Edoardo Amaldi, has safely docked with the International Space Station. ATV is the largest supply ship to fly to the Space Station. A truly international team effort, ATV-3 brought fresh food, fuel and supplies to the Station.

Although this spacecraft has sophisticated automatic docking systems, astronauts on the Station are trained to ensure a safe docking. On Earth, ESA's astronaut instructors have shown them how to do the job. The astronaut instructors are often overlooked but they are a vital part of Space Station operations.

Astronauts spend their working life training for every possible scenario. Up to half a year can pass from the moment an astronaut receives ATV training until an actual docking. To make sure that astronauts are still on the ball when the time comes, the European Astronaut Centre developed refresher courses that astronauts follow while on the Station.

These refreshers courses are designed to work on laptops but astronauts will soon use tablets, because they have to be able to follow the courses while orbiting 400 km above Earth. Two sets of these lessons are now available for the home user to try.

Astronauts continuously monitor ATV's approach during final docking phases, ready to act to if necessary. Lesson one, a regular webpage, lists possible malfunctions, how to recognise them and what to do to avoid further problems.

Once docked, astronauts cannot simply open the hatch and access the fresh food ATV brings. Lesson two shows in 3D the steps required to enter the vehicle safely: from opening the hatch and turning on the lights, to connecting air ducts and installing acoustic covers.

Don't be surprised if the lessons are very technical - basic ATV training takes more than two weeks on ground even for real astronauts, including one-to-one sessions with ESA astronaut instructors. The simulators on Earth reproduce ATV docking with higher fidelity, but the mobile versions have been adapted to the needs of astronauts on the Space Station.

The lessons work best with Internet Explorer and need the Cortona 3D viewer plugin installed.

Related Links
Automated Transfer Vehicle at ESA
Station at NASA
Station and More at Roscosmos
S.P. Korolev RSC Energia
Watch NASA TV via Space.TV
Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com




.
.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries




.

. Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle



STATION NEWS
Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES)
Houston TX (SPX) Apr 12, 2012
The Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) is the first onboard mechanically cooled superconducting mixer and high-resolution system for measuring atmospheric minor constituents related to stratospheric and mesospheric chemistry. SMILES collected high-quality observation data for six months until the instrument encountered trouble. These data indicate the excelle ... read more


STATION NEWS
Solazyme and Bunge Form Joint Venture for Commercial-Scale Renewable Oil Production Facility in Brazil

Mascoma and Lallemand Ethanol Technology Announce Commercial Agreement with Pacific Ethanol

AFPM Says EPA Action on E15 Irresponsible

Proterro Meets Key Productivity Milestones for Clean, Fermentation-ready Sugar Feedstock

STATION NEWS
U.S. offers $2 million for rescue robot

Easy Robotic Design and Production

US scientists launch personalized robot project

Robosquirrels versus rattlesnakes

STATION NEWS
Cape Wind picks contractors for wind farm

Reducing cash bite of wind power

GDF SUEZ, VINCI, CDC Infrastructure and AREVA mobilized for offshore wind power

Real-World Wind Turbine Performance Metrics and Just-in-Time Predictive Maintenance Software

STATION NEWS
Skoda Auto posts record sales with boost from China, India

China's auto sales fall 3.4% in first quarter

German city seeks to woo drivers with free public transport

Listening to the radio even with an electric drive

STATION NEWS
Philippines deploys second ship in China standoff

Quake impact on Japan oil demand less than expected: IEA

Search is on for source of US Gulf of Mexico oil sheen

East Africa is world's new energy frontier

STATION NEWS
Bulgaria approves new reactor at nuclear plant

Spain's nuclear sector eyes growth in China

France waits for India to clarify n-liability framework

Work at Kudankulam quickens for first reactor

STATION NEWS
India ranks high in clean energy

Some 'improved cookstoves' may emit more pollution than traditional mud cookstoves

Smart grid's global reach set to top $46B

New round of U.S. green energy loans?

STATION NEWS
UCSB Study Shows Forest Insects and Diseases Arrive in U.S. Via Imported Plants

Russia decodes ancient dawn redwood DNA

Ancient Amazonians farmed without fire

800-Year-Old Farmers Could Teach Us How to Protect the Amazon


Memory Foam Mattress Review

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily Express :: SpaceWar Express :: TerraDaily Express :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement