My favorite SciFi author, Arthur C. Clarke, died yesterday morning. If Arthur put it in one of his books it is something that has happened or will happen.
Clarke’s Three Laws
- When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right.
Corollary: When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
- The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to venture beyond them into the impossible.
- Any scientifically advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
|
The ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle, Jules Verne, entered a parking orbit this morning. It is about 1250 miles ahead of the ISS (about 4.5 minutes in orbital time) and will remain there until after STS-123 leaves the ISS. Then it will make two test approaches to the ISS before ultimately docking with ISS, now planned for 3Apr08 at 1020 EDT.
There should be some opportunities to see the two craft fly overhead, but the ATV is not as bright as I had hoped. It was reported to appear as a bright star in the ISS cameras but on checking the pass schedule on Heavens Above I found that most of the passes are fainter than Mag. 1.0.
ESA has committed to build at least five ATVs which will each get their own name. They will transport food, water, oxygen cargo, nitrogen and fuel up to the ISS and on the return to earth, burning up over the Pacific Ocean, will carry garbage.
Spaceflight Now story
Mission Timeline
