Two European Launches to Space Station Delayed

The European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory is completed by EADS workers. CREDIT: ESA/EADS.

PARIS -- The launch of Europe's unmanned cargo vehicle to the International Space Station aboard an Ariane 5 rocket has slipped to November, with Europe's shuttle-launched Columbus crew laboratory shifting to December, under the tentative station schedule being revised following the U.S. space shuttle's hail damage-related delay.

The reshuffling of the station's traffic schedule caused by the shuttle's delay is only one of the reasons Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) [image], to carry thousands of kilograms of food, water and fuel to the station, will not make its late-summer launch date, according to Europe's space station director, Daniel Sacotte.

The ATV's previous schedule, calling for a launch between July and September, was going to be difficult to maintain regardless of the shuttle schedule as the European Space Agency struggled to complete integration of Russian and European components on the vehicle and resolve outstanding performance issues.

"I certainly am not going to say I am happy with a delay," Sacotte said in an March 16 interview. "But in this case, a July-September launch was going to be difficult for us. Now we have more than enough breathing room."

The ATV is designed to perform many of the functions of a manned vehicle, including the ability to approach the station, then stop and back off if necessary before a final docking. Its arrival must coincide with the availability of a docking port, and even with the Sun's position relative to the station so that ATV's laser-guided rendezvous sensors are not confused by backlighting of the station on approach.

ESA officials want ATV to be launched before the Columbus lab to avoid possible cash payments to NASA for Columbus [image] overhead charges. ATV is considered as part of Europe's payment in kind for station services paid by NASA.

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