The European Space Agency (ESA) is busy building the ATV-4 Albert Einstein and ATV-5 Georges Lemaître, pencilled in for launches in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Recently the French Space Agency (CNES) awarded GMV a contract for maintenance and updating of the ATV-4 and ATV-5 orbital mechanics system. The contract also includes in-situ support for flight dynamics operations throughout the whole mission of both ATVs from launch to destructive reentry.

The ATV is the most complex spacecraft ever produced in Europe, supplying the ISS with essential equipment and cargo. One of the most important missions of the ATV project is to reboost the space station into a higher orbit to offset atmospheric drag.

The ATV project will provide at least five resupply journeys to the space station. ESA has already successfully launched ATV-1 Jules Verne in 2008, ATV-2 Johannes Kepler in 2011 and ATV Edoardo Amaldi in 2012.

GMV has been involved right from the start of the ATV program, taking part in ESA’s preliminary navigation studies, providing mission analysis support for CNES, developing the operational flight dynamics system (FDS) for CNES’s Control Center, with CNES as prime contractor, and also participating in vehicle control operations.

GMV furnished in situ support for flight dynamics operations throughout the whole ATV-1 mission, from blast-off to destructive reentry. This makes it the only Spanish firm to participate in the development and operation of CNES’s ATV Control Center.

Both for the ATV-2 and ATV-3 spaceflights GMV was responsible for maintenance and updating of the orbital mechanics system to bring it into line with any vehicle changes with respect to its forerunners and improve the system in light of lessons learned from the first flight. GMV has also kept its representation within the operations team, with responsibility for the orbital mechanics database.