Edoardo Amaldi ATV
The Edoardo Amaldi ATV, or Automated Transfer Vehicle 003 (ATV-003), was a European uncrewed cargo spacecraft, named after the 20th-century Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi. The spacecraft was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on 23 March 2012, on a mission to supply the International Space Station (ISS) with propellant, water, oxygen, and dry cargo.
Edoardo Amaldi during its approach to the ISS on 28 March 2012 | |
| Mission type | ISS resupply |
|---|---|
| Operator | European Space Agency |
| COSPAR ID | 2012-010A |
| SATCAT no. | 38096 |
| Mission duration | 6 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | ATV |
| Manufacturer | EADS Astrium Thales Alenia Space |
| Launch mass | 20,050 kilograms (44,200 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 23 March 2012, 04:34:12 UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 5ES |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Deorbited |
| Decay date | 3 October 2012, 01:23 UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 410 kilometres (250 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 420 kilometres (260 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.64 degrees |
| Period | 92.73 minutes |
| Epoch | 2 October 2012, 19:36:14 UTC |
| Docking with ISS | |
| Docking port | Zvezda Aft |
| Docking date | 28 March 2012, 22:51 UTC |
| Undocking date | 28 September 2012, 21:44 UTC |
Edoardo Amaldi was the third ATV to be built, following Jules Verne (2008) and Johannes Kepler (2011). At the time of its launch, it was the world's largest single operational spacecraft, with a total launch mass of over 20 tonnes (44,000 lb). The ATV completed its mission successfully, and was deorbited on 3 October 2012, burning up in the Earth's atmosphere as planned.
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