Space Shuttle Endeavour has launched successfully on a mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour carries the Japanese Experiment Module and the Canadian built SPDM which is something of a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ manipulator for handling modules and parts on the outside of the station.

Also in orbit just now is the European Space Agency’s Jules Verne ATV which launched from Kourou in French Guiana on the 9th. The ATV launch and deployment went well but the number two Propulsion Drive Electronics unit detected a difference in pressure between the fuel and oxidiser on one of the four main propulsion units. Flight controllers are evaluating the fault but remain confident that ISS rendezvous can easily be completed on the other three units.

The ATV is due at the station on the 29th, approximately 3 days after Endeavour leaves (depending on final duration of STS-123). Final docking of the ATV should occur on the 3rd of April.

You will be able to watch the Launch of the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle online tonight from a number of sources.

First, there’s the ESA site. [Windows Media or RealPlayer - French or English commentary] I’ve no idea what the quality of their stream is like yet as the transmission only goes live an hour before launch.

Then there’s Ariane Space who also provide their own stream.

Finally, NASA TV should be carrying the stream although they haven’t updated their schedules to reflect the 24hr delay. You should be able to find my preferred high-quality Yahoo! / Akamai relay here.

I also found this Progress docking approach video via the ESA ATV blog which is nothing short of stunning. It’s speeded-up so you get to see the ISS rotate in your first-person field of view as the Progress resupply vehicle maneuvers around it.

The Jules Verne ATV is scheduled to launch atop it’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle at 04:03 ZULU Sunday (05:03 CET)

Update:  ESA have a really good quality stream via Akamai so I recommend using that one.

Photo Credit: ESA / D.Ducros

The launch of the new European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle Jules Verne has been scheduled for the 9th of March.

Originally the crewless ISS resupply ship was due to launch on the 8th but a technical concern with regard to grounding straps on the Ariane vehicle release system caused a 24 hour delay.

When Jules Verne launches from Guiana Space Centre in Kourou atop an Ariane 5 ES booster, it will carry 9 tons of cargo to the International Space Station. Once at the station it will also be able to use it’s motors to boost the station’s orbit. At the completion of it’s mission, the ATV will be packed with station refuse, deorbited and allowed to burn up in the atmosphere.

Liftoff is scheduled for 03:59 ZULU / 04:59 CET

If I find a good live internet stream, I will post an update.

Photo: ESA

Space Shuttle Atlantis returned safely to Kennedy Space Center yesterday after completing STS-122 to the International Space Station which saw the delivery and installation of the ESA European Columbus science labaratory.

As Atlantis landed, Endeavor was already at the launch pad in preparation for STS-123, also to the ISS, which is penciled in to launch in just over three weeks time on the 11th of March. Endeavor will be carrying the pressurised section of the Japanese JAXA science module.

…well disrupted at least.

The US Department of Defense today released a statement describing how the US Navy Triconderoga class Aegis Guided Missile Cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) fired a single, modified RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) from the Pacific ocean and hit the errant spy-satellite which, they say, was travelling at “over 17,000mph”. Arleigh-Burke class Aegis Guided Missile Destroyers USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) also took part in the operation as backups for USS Lake Erie.

It is reported that in another Pentagon statement, the speed of USA-193 was 22,783mph when shot at about 133 miles altitude (71 miles into ’space’ which officially begins at 62 miles in altitude). The DoD statement says that the debris from the satellite will mostly burn up within 24-48 hours and the rest within 40 days. However, a Professor Richard Crowther, a ’space debris expert’ with the STFC, was quoted in a BBC article stating that in his opinion, up to 25% of the satellite’s mass could still survive re-entry.

“USA-193″ as it is called by amateur satellite trackers or NROL-21 by it’s launch number, was believed to be a radar reconnaissance satellite launched in December 2006 but which failed to deploy into proper operation. The orbit of the satellite had been decaying ever since and the US government stated their reason for ‘destroying’ the satellite was to protect humans from the risks of the satellite’s near half-ton of hydrazine fuel stored on board. Unfortunately, US officials no cannot say whether the fuel tank was properly destroyed by the AEGIS missile and, as such, there could now be 450kg of hydrazine ice flying around the planet pending re-entry. If you happen to see a spacecraft fuel-tank lying around some time soon, don’t go near it.

Of course, Russia and China have immediately accused the USA of ASAT willy-waving. The fact that the interception and destruction occurred outside the atmosphere means that at least part of the Outerspace Treaty on weapon use in space has been violated. China is calling for more information about the operation as (presumably) they believe this to have been a deliberate ASAT technology test and it doesn’t help the USA’s position much that they decried China’s recent ASAT test. Russia is just out-and-out calling this an ABM test and you can see their point. If Aegis can hit an object flying at 17,000mph + at 133 miles, it can probably hit slower, lower ICBMs. Aegis is after all, by design, an Anti Ballistic-Missile defence system.

Ultimately, all is fair in international love and cold war

Update: Fixed km/miles mistake.

Update 16:49: I’ve just watched the intercept video and the press officer states that the intercept occurred at 153 nautical miles altitude. This is equivalent to the 133 ‘international’ standard miles that I mention.

The US pentagon has announced that the failed reconnaissance satellite speculated around the web to be USA-193/NROL-21 is to be shot down to prevent a possible atmospheric discharge of nearly half a ton of hydrazine monopropellant contained on board.

The ’spy’ satellite, speculatively identified by satellite tracking enthusiasts across the world as USA-193 apparently failed to deploy correctly when it was launched back in December 2006. It would have been in a gradually decaying, uncontrolled orbit thereafter.

US officials say that they will use a RIM-131 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) to destroy USA-193 before it enters the atmosphere so that the hydrazine propellant will be dispersed safely in space. The SM-3 is a fairly hefty 4-stage missile and part of the Aegis Anti Ballistic Missile System. The missile will be fired from an Aegis cruiser or destroyer. US President George Bush has given approval for one missile to be fired but a further two Aegis ships will be standing-by downrange. In case of a miss by the first ship, a decision will be made on whether or not to fire again from one of the other ships.

General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the optimum time frame for the destruction of the satellite would be in a window opening for about one week beginning in four days time. If successful, the satellite would be reduced to small components of debris which would largely burn up on re-entry.

I haven’t been able to find out yet what altitude the satellite will be traveling at yet (perhaps the orbit tracking buffs will come up with it) but with the DoD already playing down any similarities with China’s recent destruction of a satellite with an ASAT missile, it’s possible that it may be over the 100km mark and that could mean a curfuffle with Russia, China and the UN over the outerspace treaty which bans the use of weapons in space.

In the mean time, mind your heads