Yes, the legendary author Jules Verne still has a connection with space, not just courtesy his books like the classic-Around the world in 80 days, but because the European Space Agency has named one of the biggest cargo spaceship to be launched as Jules Verne. The European Space Agency’s Jules Verne unmanned cargo spaceship is all set to Be launched with a specially modified Ariane 5 rocket which will launch it into space, from Kourou space station French Guyana this Sunday. So what’s the big deal about this launch? Well, the big deal is because this launch is coming almost nine years after station bound spacecraft like the Soyuz and Progress have lifted off. And the fact that this huge double decker sized spaceship is unmanned and is the largest and most complicated spaceship the European Space Agency has ever launched, make it all the more important.
The 21 ton Jules Verne is an ATV, an acronym for automated transfer vehicle. Sounds weird? This means that the Jules Verne is basically a Cargo Spaceship which will ferry supplies to the international space station. The cylindrical Jules Verne is 10 metres long and 4.5 metres in width, and will carry food, new equipment, clothing and rocket fuel to the International Space station and its 3 astronauts.
That is not all, the Jules Verne will carry three times as much equipment to the ISS compared to the existing spacecrafts. For the First trip, Jules Verne is carrying new equipment and rocket fuel to the ISS. And first the Spaceship has a lot of catching upto do with the ISS. It needs 1 whole week to reach the ISS and once it reaches close enough, I mean an eyepopping 1243 miles close to the ISS, it has to stay parked. That is quite a distance to PARK the spaceship.
That is because the Jules Verne has to hang around till NASA’s shuttle Endevour departs. Only then will it be able to dock into the ISS. Phew! And for six long months, the astronauts unload the material and fill the Jules Verne with space junk, the Jules Verne will carry waste material from the ISS and burn out as it enters the earth’s atmosphere. What a way to finish a mission. In the Future though, Re-entry Proof canisters are set to be used. Thank god the Jules Verne is unmanned.
Source: Futurismic
