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Flight 181: Ariane 5/ATV Mission Timeline
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 5, 2008

NOTE: GMT is +5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

March 9 The Launch
Jules Verne launches atop the Ariane 5 rocket at 0403 GMT, separating from the launcher about an hour later. Eight hours after deployment, Jules Verne fires its engines to transfer to its initial phasing orbit to begin its pursuit of the international space station.
March 9-18 Orbit Raising
Through a series of orbit-changing burns, Jules Verne raises its orbit from an altitude of 162 miles to arrive at a parking spot 1,200 miles in front of the station to wait out the shuttle Endeavour's mission.
March 12 Collision Avoidance Test
0800 GMT - During the phasing period, Jules Verne conducts a collision avoidance maneuver demonstration to test its ability to leave the space station's vicinity if something goes wrong during rendezvous.
March 27 Orbit Maneuvering
0520 GMT - Jules Verne begins to move from its parking orbit to set up for the first of two demonstration days.
March 29 Begin Demo Day 1
1400 GMT - Beginning at an "interface point" 24 miles behind and three miles below the space station, Jules Verne begins its first rendezvous attempt using GPS navigation on demo day one.
March 29 First Demo Complete
1710 GMT - Controllers at the Toulouse control center command an escape maneuver after Jules Verne reaches a point 2.2 miles behind the station.
March 30 Go/No-go
The ISS mission management team confers to review the results from demo day one before giving a "go" for demo day two.
March 31 Begin Demo Day 2
1210 GMT - Beginning at an "interface point" 24 miles behind and three miles below the space station, Jules Verne begins its second demo day to test both GPS and optical navigation and a series of commands from both the ground and the station's crew.
March 31 Second Demo Complete
1620 GMT - After reaching a point 40 feet from the aft port of the Zvezda service module, then backing away to a distance of 60 feet, the station's crew sends an escape command for Jules Verne to leave the vicinity of the complex, ending demo day two.
April 2 Go/No-go
The ISS mission management team confers to review the results from demo day two before giving a "go" for docking.
April 3 Final Approach
1010 GMT - Jules Verne begins its push toward the station from a distance of 24 miles away.
April 3 Docking
1420 GMT - Jules Verne is captured at the aft docking port of Zvezda.

Data Source: ESA

MISSION STATUS CENTER