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Path of ATV and ISS
the Automated Transfer Vehicle "Jules Verne" (left) preceding the
International Space Station with the docked Space Shuttle "Endeavour"
 


Animation of these images
 
Date:19.3.2008 Time:3:54 - 4:12 UT
Exposure:540 x 1.6s Field:84o x 62o
Camera:Nikon D3 Optics:f=20mm, 1/2.5
Place:Hechingen, Germany Observer:Till Credner

© Copyright by the observers

ESA's ATV spacecraft "Jules Verne" races about 2000 km ahead of the ISS through the predawn sky above Hohenzollern Castle of the Swabian Alb, Southern Germany. The ATV is Europe's largest and most comprehensive spacecraft up to date. It was launched on March 9th ontop of an ARIANE 5 rocket and has docked to the ISS on April 3rd.

To record the visible pass 540 frames were taken in 2s intervals (also see the video). The still image above is a composite of 11 + 11 exposures with a large time gap in between. The two spacecraft could not be seen simultaneously. The ATV preceded about five minutes and vanished in the east before the ISS appeared in the west.