Avalanche vs. ATV

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I was reading an article in the local paper a few weeks ago about how avalanche deaths this year are near an all time high in the U.S.. I found that a little weird since I hadn’t noticed a dramatic increase in Jackson Hole and the surrounding area. And, friends in Montana, Utah and Colorado that I talk with regularly hadn’t really brought it up in conversation and snow conditions are usually the first thing we talk about, especially during a year like the one we are currently having. Jobs, family, relationships usually come at the end of the phone call, have to get to the good stuff first.

But, it piqued my interest so I did a little research, and, sure enough, through March 18th of this year the 2007/2008 U.S. total of 34 fatalities is only one shy of the 2001/2002 record of 34. The numbers do not reflect Canadian fatalities, and the chart below shows the breakdown by activity:
*Data obtained from Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center

I was sad to hear that the number still continues to be high, especially considering articles I’d read that say education of backcountry travelers is increasing. Part of the increase is undoubtedly due to the power of modern snowmobiles and the access to dangerous terrain that they now provide. And the overall popularity of earning your turns has had an impact as well, the more people out there doing it, the higher the probability of accidents.

As I was lamenting the high numbers and looking into it a little bit more, I saw another article that said ATV accident deaths were at an all time high. Ok, that makes sense, big powerful machines that require little or no training to purchase and use. The numbers were shocking. 2,620 ATV related deaths since 2003, not including the 2007 numbers which had yet to be released by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. In the article I read the estimates for 2007 are in the 600 range. Over 3,000 people in 5 years, and over one third of those deaths were children under 16 as reported by the CPSC.

Those statistics to me weren’t just unbelievable, but kind of ridiculous. If I were an ATV manufacturer I’d probably take a small amount of the millions I spend to lobby congress to keep ATV’s free and dangerous, and put a little money into safety and consumer awareness. I spent some time as a kid ripping around the McCullough Peaks outside of Cody on a motorcycle, so I’m no treehugging hiker. But you can damn well be sure that my kids are getting their first alpine touring setup long before the conversation turns to romping around in an ATV.

Coast Guard airlifts injured man in ATV accident -

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SEATTLE - The Coast Guard airlifted a 29-year-old male after he was injured in an ATV accident at Lake Tarboo, north of Quilcene, Wash., today.

Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles received a call from Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services at 1 p.m. requesting helicopter support for a male who had gotten into an ATV accident with his daughter.

The father and daughter were in a heavily wooded area that would require the hoisting capability of a Coast Guard helicopter. The daughter was able to be transported out of the area into a clearing where an Air Lift Northwest helicopter was able to land and transport her to a local hospital.

A Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles launched to the scene and airlifted the father to the same hospital as his daughter.

Man Escapes Police On ATV In Martin County

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(HINDOSTAN) - State Police Jasper are looking for a man that took off on an ATV in the area of Hindostan in Martin County.

A trooper saw a man riding a yellow Honda ATV along IN-550 near Hindostan Falls Road, and when the officer tried to make a traffic stop, police say the rider took off, leading the officer on a 12 mile chase through rural areas of Martin County.

The report says the man then ditched the 4-wheeler and took off running into a large wooded area.

Despite calling in officers from Martin County Sheriff's Department, Loogootee Police and a K-9 officer from Daviess County, the suspect could not be found.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Impressive dress-rehearsal for Jules Verne ATV

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Jules Verne ATV today approached the International Space Station to within 11 m of the docking port on the Russian Zvezda module. The approach was part of a second ATV demonstration day which clears the way for the first rendezvous and docking attempt on 3 April.

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“I’m known for my understatements, but the only word that comes to mind about today is impressive,” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. “It was impressive to see how Jules Verne, the staff at the ATV Control Centre, the control centres in Moscow and Houston pulled together today. It was a perfect dress-rehearsal for Thursday.”
Today’s manoeuvres included the first demonstration of the critical optical navigation system, using the European-developed Videometer technology. It was confirmed that ATV can use this system to autonomously navigate to within 11 m of the ISS.

“This demonstration day confirmes the performance of the vehicle is even better than we had hoped for,” said Nicolas Chamussy, Astrium ATV Project Manager. “This is a world premier for automated rendezvous using optical sensors, following the world’s first demonstration of relative GPS navigation between Jules Verne and the Station performed on Saturday.”

“Today was an important success for the Toulouse control centre to orchestrate a human-rated mission with the Station and it is a main step which is very promising for the docking attempt on Thursday,” added Lionel Baize, ATV-CC Project Manager for the French space agency, CNES. “It is an incredible challenge to have three control centres working together and to interact live with the ISS crew.”

Mission controllers at the ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, France, also confirmed they could issue very specific commands to Jules Verne, including Hold Retreat and Resume. These commands may have to be issued if any unforeseen problems occur in the ATV’s automatic guidance system.

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Today’s demonstration also included the first active participation of the ISS crew in the mission. Once ATV had reached the 11-metre stand-off point, the astronauts were instructed to issue a Retreat command bringing Jules Verne back to the 19-metre point. The crew then issued an Escape command, which automatically took Jules Verne to a safe location away from the ISS.

The close approach to the ISS presented the ATV team with an opportunity to inspect some thermal blankets on the exterior of the spacecraft that had become degraded. “These were in exactly the positions that our thermal analysis had predicted. At the moment we do not envisage that this will have any impact on Thursday’s planned first docking attempt,” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager. “We have addressed with our ISS partners the increase in power we might need to maintain the temperatures and we foresee no problems.”

Data collected during Demonstration Day 2 will be made available to ISS managers for their go-ahead to proceed with a first docking attempt on Thursday. Jules Verne ATV is scheduled to dock with ISS at 16:41 CEST (14:41 UT) on 3 April.

Avalanche vs. ATV

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I was reading an article in the local paper a few weeks ago about how avalanche deaths this year are near an all time high in the U.S.. I found that a little weird since I hadn’t noticed a dramatic increase in Jackson Hole and the surrounding area. And, friends in Montana, Utah and Colorado that I talk with regularly hadn’t really brought it up in conversation and snow conditions are usually the first thing we talk about, especially during a year like the one we are currently having. Jobs, family, relationships usually come at the end of the phone call, have to get to the good stuff first.

But, it piqued my interest so I did a little research, and, sure enough, through March 18th of this year the 2007/2008 U.S. total of 34 fatalities is only one shy of the 2001/2002 record of 34. The numbers do not reflect Canadian fatalities, and the chart below shows the breakdown by activity:
*Data obtained from Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center

I was sad to hear that the number still continues to be high, especially considering articles I’d read that say education of backcountry travelers is increasing. Part of the increase is undoubtedly due to the power of modern snowmobiles and the access to dangerous terrain that they now provide. And the overall popularity of earning your turns has had an impact as well, the more people out there doing it, the higher the probability of accidents.

As I was lamenting the high numbers and looking into it a little bit more, I saw another article that said ATV accident deaths were at an all time high. Ok, that makes sense, big powerful machines that require little or no training to purchase and use. The numbers were shocking. 2,620 ATV related deaths since 2003, not including the 2007 numbers which had yet to be released by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. In the article I read the estimates for 2007 are in the 600 range. Over 3,000 people in 5 years, and over one third of those deaths were children under 16 as reported by the CPSC.

Those statistics to me weren’t just unbelievable, but kind of ridiculous. If I were an ATV manufacturer I’d probably take a small amount of the millions I spend to lobby congress to keep ATV’s free and dangerous, and put a little money into safety and consumer awareness. I spent some time as a kid ripping around the McCullough Peaks outside of Cody on a motorcycle, so I’m no treehugging hiker. But you can damn well be sure that my kids are getting their first alpine touring setup long before the conversation turns to romping around in an ATV.

A Pair of Bears for 2008

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Yamaha has split production of its Grizzly 700 ATV to accommodate customers who want power steering, or not.

The 2008 Grizzly 700 FI is available with and without Electric Power Steering with a price difference of about $600 for the EPS delete version.

Yamaha's power steering system debuted on the 2007 Grizzly 700 and features a torque-sensing steering column that signals twisting force to a computer, which controls an electric motor assist to soften or eliminate "kickback" and make the toughest terrain easier to tackle.

The Grizzly powerplant is adapted from the company's popular sport ATV, the RaptorR, and features a single-overhead-cam single, fuel-injected engine with four valves for combustion efficiency. Electronic fuel injection makes cold or hot starts dependable, and the Ultramatic centrifugal clutch and drive belt work for engine braking at all four wheels with 2WD or 4WD selections.

Yamaha is offering its 700 FI Grizzly with and without power steering for 2008. The utility ATVs will tow 1,212 lbs. and can carry nearly 300 lbs. on racks beside the rider.

The 2008 Grizzly sports four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes and rides on Yamaha-designed Dunlop tires.
Towing specs for both models is 1,212 lbs. and payload includes a 99 lb. rating on the front rack and 187 lbs. on the rear.

For more information on the Grizzly and its various special editions and accessories, click on

ATV Pulls Barbie Power Wheels Jeep, Plastic Tires

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Power Wheels are awesome. At least they are for the first couple weeks when you're a 6-year-old. After that, the battery gets weak and you're left wanting for more power. A solution to this need for speed? Why not just have your big brother tow you with his ATV? Oh, but make sure to wear a helmet, because those plastic tires don't grip the road all that well. You'll be sliding all over the place, and well, you might crash into a wall or something. This guy can vouch for it.

Observez la Station Spatiale et l’ATV en même te

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? Mars 2008 - Place au printemps !Observez la Station Spatiale et l’ATV en même temps !
Samedi 29 mars prochain, en soirée, il sera possible d’observer simultanément la Station Spatiale Internationale (ISS) ainsi que le Véhicule de Transfert Automatique (ATV) qui effectue son vol probatoire avant un arrimage à ISS prévu le 3 avril.

Comment procéder ?

Une simple boussole vous permettra de déterminer facilement la direction dans laquelle chercher (azimut). La hauteur est la hauteur par rapport à l’horizon dans la direction de l’azimut. Ainsi une hauteur de 90degrés signifie que le satellite passe au zénith. Un jeu classique consiste à sortir en famille et à savoir qui apercevra l’ISS ou l’ATV en premier !

Voici les heures de passage (en temps civil, pas de conversion nécessaire) prévues par A.Pouplier pour Genève :

ISS
29/ 3/2008 20h27m Azimut:Ouest-Sud-Ouest Hauteur : 18 degrés
29/ 3/2008 20h28m Azimut:Ouest Hauteur : 35degrés
29/ 3/2008 20h29m Azimut:Nord-Nord-Ouest Hauteur : 65degrés
29/ 3/2008 20h30m Azimut:Nord-Est Hauteur : 36 degrés

ATV
29/ 3/2008 20h27m Azimut:Ouest Hauteur : 24degrés
29/ 3/2008 20h28m Azimut:Ouest Hauteur : 51degrés
29/ 3/2008 20h29m Azimut:Nord-Nord-Est Hauteur : 52degrés

L’ATV devancera l’ISS de 15 secondes environ.

Bonnes observations !

TECHNOLOGIA: ATV zacumowa?

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Sukcesem zakończy? si? pierwszy etap cumowania europejskiego pojazdu transportowego do Mi?dzynarodowej Stacji Kosmicznej ISS.

Nosz?cy imi? s?ynnego pisarza Julesa Verne’a kosmiczny pojazd ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) ma 10,3 metra d?ugo?ci i 4,5 metra szeroko?ci. Przemieszcza si? bez za?ogi, a na orbit? wylecia? ju? 9 marca, ale z procedur? dokowania przy ISS musia? poczeka? a? odleci stamt?d amerykański wahad?owiec Endeavour.

System nawigacyjny na ATV jest bardzo precyzyjny; jak z dum? podkre?laj? ludzie z ESA – jest to rozwi?zanie znacznie dok?adniejsze ni? systemy stosowane przez Rosjan i Amerykanów. Transporterem mo?na manewrowa? z dok?adno?ci? do kilku centymetrów.
20-tonowy ATV Jules Verne przywióz? na stacj? ok. 5 ton ró?nego rodzaju zapasów: paliwa, wody, jedzenia, a tak?e… powietrza. Bezcenne rzeczy astronauci b?d? mogli dosta? dopiero dzi?.

ATV nie tylko zaopatruje ISS - co kilka tygodni ATV b?dzie uruchamia? w?asne silniki, by zwi?kszy? wysoko?? orbity stacji kosmicznej. Kiedy b?dzie gotowy do odlotu, zabierze ze sob? na Ziemi? odpadki. Nie wyl?duje jednak z nimi – on i ca?y jego ?adunek sp?on? w atmosferze nad Pacyfikiem.

Do 2015 roku na ISS polecie? maj? jeszcze przynajmniej 4 pojazdy ATV.

ATV money revived

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A bid to replenish a state fund for ATV parks like the one south of Fort Dodge cleared the Senate Tuesday, a week after the House killed an identical plan.

State Sen. Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, introduced an amendment to transfer $775,000 into the ATV account and $950,000 into a fund for snowmobile trails.

That measure was added to an agriculture and natural resources budget bill that senators approved Tuesday on a 37-11 vote. The bill now goes to the House.

Beall’s amendment is a mirror image of one state Rep. Helen Miller, D-Fort Dodge, tried to get approved last week. It replaces money in the ATV and snowmobile accounts that lawmakers took in 2002 to plug a budget deficit.

‘‘The money in question was never in the state budget, it wasn’t public money and it wasn’t paid by Iowa taxpayers,’’ Beall said. ‘‘It was voluntarily assessed by ATV and snowmobile owners upon themselves.’’

He said lawmakers ‘‘scooped’’ the money and offered ‘‘no IOUs, no thank you letters, no promise to pay it back.’’

‘‘Little wonder many people don’t trust their government,’’ he said.

The measure approved Tuesday moves money from the state’s account that pays for cleaning up pollution from leaking underground storage tanks and places it in the ATV and snowmobile funds.

The underground storage tank fund receives $13 million annually, but about $10.5 million is usually spent.

The ATV account gets money from a $25 annual permit fee paid by ATV owners. It pays for improvements at sites like the Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park at Webster County Road P59 and 219th Street.

Miller’s amendment was defeated on a rare 50-50 vote in the House.

Teenager Killed in ATV Accident

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RIPLEY, W. Va. (WSAZ) -- Sheriff's Deputies have released the name of the teenager killed in an ATV accident near Ripley.

The accident happened Friday at the intersection of Route 21 and Puckett Ridge. That's just north of Ripley.

Deputies say John Edward Knuckles was on his ATV when he pulled out in front of a truck on Route 21.

Knuckles was taken to Jackson General Hospital where deputies say he later died. He was 19-years-old.

Sara Beth Casto was driving the truck. She was not hurt, but deputies say she was cited for driving without insurance.

Sabah-ATV sat???nda erteleme talebi yok

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Sabah-ATV sat???nda erteleme talebi yok

ANKARA (AA)
Devlet Bakan? ve Ba?bakan Yard?mc?s? Naz?m Ekren, Sabah ve ATV'nin sat???yla ilgili, "Devrin gecikmesi veya ?al?k Grubu'nun erteleme talebi gibi durumlar s?z konusu de?il" dedi. CHP Milletvekili Mustafa ?zyürek'in soru ?nergesini, TMSF Ba?kan? Ahmet Ertürk'ün bilgi notuyla yan?tlayan Ekren, ATV-Sabah Ticari ve ?ktisadi Bütünlü?ü'nün, 1 milyar 100 milyon dolara, Turkuvaz Radyo ve Televizyon Gazetecilik ve Yay?nc?l?k A.?.'ye sat?ld???n? hat?rlatt?. ?halenin, 21 ?ubat 2008 tarihinde onayland???n? ve ihale al?c?s?na, ihale bedelinin ?denmesi i?in 60 günlük süre verdi?ini belirten Ekren, "Bedel tahsili akabinde, devir ger?ekle?ecek” dedi.

Brighton residents voice opinions on ATV use on pu

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Brighton — A number of Brighton-area residents spoke out at a public meeting held to discuss ATVs on public roads. The all-terrain vehicles currently do not have access to public roads in the Brighton municipality, but council does have the authority, through the highway traffic act, to create a bylaw granting access.

Jim Phillips, director of public works, said some Northumberland municipalities have already passed the bylaw.

Mike Ainsworth, president of the Northumberland ATV Riders, would like to see the bylaw passed in Brighton. The organization is working on a proposed trail that would link five municipalities in Northumberland Cty. It would also like open road access north of Cty. Rd 21.

“We’ve been going on two years, trying to get this bylaw passed,” Ainsworth said. He said the bylaw has worked well in other municipalities.

“They’re working, and they’ve been working for years.”

Ainsworth said current restrictions are not fair to responsible ATV riders.

“You take it off your property and you are fined,” he said. “That’s not fair to us as taxpayers either.”

He pointed out ATV riders have been on the roads for years. “Without the bylaw, people will be running from the police.”

He said riders would continue to be on the roads, regardless of whether or not the bylaw is passed.

“We really want to make it legal.”

Ainsworth also said ATV riding is among the safest of summer recreational activities.

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“There’s more chance from dying from an insect bite or getting hit by lightening than on an ATV,” he said, citing statistics.

Doreen Boville, a health promoter with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, said her concern with opening up roads to ATVs was not for the riders alone.

“Having the ATVs on the side of the road is a safety concern,” she said. “I’m looking at it from the perspective of all road users.”

She said that as the number of ATV riders has increased in recent years, so has the number of incidents.

Although she is not “anti-ATV,” Boville said there are specific risks associated with ATVs having access to public roads. Common factors linked to ATV mishaps include the rider’s lack of training, the speed of the vehicle, improper apparel and alcohol use. Moreover, the actual construction of the ATVs themselves could present a problem, should road access be granted she said.

“The tires are designed to provide tread slip under some conditions and grip in some conditions,” Boville said. ATV tires are not designed for road use. If the tires are half on the road and half on the shoulder, a rut could completely offset the machine, she said.

John Harwood read from a prepared statement on behalf of a number of fellow Hilton residents.

He said that if ATVs were allowed access to public highways, inappropriate behaviour could still continue, as the bylaw would apply to all ATV users, not just those who belong to an organization that encourages responsible use.

“If permission is given, it will be very hard, if not next-to-impossible to reverse it,” he said. Harwood believes that if the bylaw is passed, it would open up a new door and people would want ATVs to go everywhere.

Joyce Higgs of Trent Hills said unlimited public road access is unwarranted.

“If a bylaw is passed, ATV riders will have the right to ride on any public road for any reason they want,” she said. She said ATV riders claim they will travel only on the shoulders of public roads, but if the shoulders aren’t there, they would have to go on the roads.

Higgs raised the question of the municipality’s liability, should the bylaw be passed. She said its insurance rates could increase as a result of incidents associated with ATVs.

Ainsworth directly questioned council members on liability concerns.

“If something happens to me on my ATV in your municipality, can I sue you?” he asked.

“Our liability is limited as long as we don’t have a bylaw,” said Councillor Brian Ostrander.

Brighton naturalist Doug McRae presented his concerns from an environmental perspective. They had to do with the wildlife in areas where road access is currently denied to ATVs.

“It should be one route to get across, rather than opening everything up,” he said.

“I’m disturbed that people are looking to make something legal, just because people are already breaking the law,” he added.

Mayor Chris Herrington noted a common theme in all the concerns that had been raised.

“Everyone spoke about safety,” she said.

“We have to consider everyone here,” she added. “We are slightly more densely populated than we may think.

“A comment was made... that people settle out there for a reason,” Herrington, said referring to residents who live on small rural roads. “They do.

“It’s not going to be easy for council to make a decision.”

Phillips said the municipality will make its decision on an ATV bylaw in May or June, following an inter-municipal meeting.

ATV, un rendez-vous qui compte

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Mais qu’il fut long ce chemin… Aujourd’hui le temps de regarder un peu en arrière.

En 99, nous étions 9…rêve Lionel Baize, le chef de projet CNES. Puis 15, puis trente. Aujourd’hui plus de 120 personnes constituent le projet, autant d’individus qui sont passionnés par les heures vécues depuis le lancement de Jules Verne, le 9 mars dernier. Une date toute proche mais qui para?t déjà lointaine, car les journées passées à guider, contr?ler mais aussi écouter l’ATV se sont succédées, rythmées par les man?uvres et les télécommandes, les inquiétudes et les soulagements, les briefings et les débriefings…

Et enfin, on l’a vu…

Difficile d’expliquer l’émotion qui a parcouru les trois salles de l’ATV-CC lors de la première journée de démonstration du 29 mars. Voir poindre, seulement poindre, une toute petite forme, savoir que c’était elle, ou plut?t lui, et que bient?t, il s’offrirait davantage aux regards, fut un moment de grande intensité.

L’émotion, les regards un peu embués chez les dames, les gorges serrées chez les hommes (bien s?r), ce fut pour la deuxième journée de démonstration, le 31 mars. D’abord parce que l’enjeu était énorme. Il fallait approcher au plus près de l’ISS. Il fallait réussir, et il fallait que Jules Verne aide le projet à réussir. Et le rendez vous fut absolument magnifique… Tout petit d’abord, puis grossissant inéluctablement, pour finalement se dessiner nettement sur le grand écran de l’ATV-CC, blanc, gigantesque, pur et magnifique….

Un respectueux silence pour cette grosse machine, si lourde et si légère, qui tient tant ses promesses qu’elle force le respect de ceux qui la gouvernent… Des flashes qui crépitent pour photographier la vedette, des exclamations, le temps pour ces ingénieurs hautement qualifiés de redevenir des enfants, spectateurs épatés, auditoire totalement conquis et submergé par une sorte d’ébahissement, tant le moment dépasse largement les attentes…

Et puis la vie, un instant suspendue à cette apparition phénoménale, a repris son cours dans le centre de contr?le. Les doigts qui courent sur les claviers, les calculs de vérification à reprendre, les échanges entre Toulouse, Moscou, Houston et la Station spatiale internationale…

L’équipage de la station qui participe à l’enthousiasme général et envoie des photos et des films…Depuis les échanges vont bon train et chaque jour amène son lot de fichiers, de films et de photos.

Malgré tout, un changement imperceptible est intervenu : les traits sont toujours un peu tirés, car tourner en 3X8 n’est pas chose facile, mais les sourires sont là, une certaine sérénité accompagne désormais les conversations, une espèce de certitude que les choses peuvent maintenant suivre leur cours… . L’amarrage, c’est demain déjà…

Oubliées les réunions préparatoires, les longs et besogneux tests indispensables, les discussions tardives, les tonnes de notes techniques, de faxes, d’e-mails…

Demain, les hommes et les femmes du centre de contr?le ATV ont rendez-vous avec Jules Verne. Et la soirée sera belle…

MX Vs. ATV Untamed - PS3

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Ana menüdeyken Options b?lümünden “Cheat Codes” b?lümüne girerek NOHANDS yazd???m?zda bütün gidonlar? elde ederiz.

E?er tüm Sürü? tak?mlar?n? isterseniz CRAZYLIKEA yazman?z yeterli.

Devam?…

Une journée dans le centre de contr?le de l’ATV

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Demain, 3 avril, le ravitailleur tentera pour la première fois de s’arrimer à l’ISS. Pour cela, une équipe ? melting-pot ? composée d’experts CNES et ESA est déjà aux man?uvres depuis le centre de contr?le ATV-CC à Toulouse. Récit d’une journée pas comme les autres, au c?ur de cette grande aventure spatiale.
Les équipes travaillent en symbiose
? Jusqu’ici, tout se passe bien ?, se réjouit Alberto Novelli, le ? grand chef ? des opérations de la mission ATV pour l’ESA. On comprend son enthousiasme : cet italien, ingénieur mécanique de formation et spécialiste de la propulsion, travaille depuis 1996 sur l’ATV, c’est-à-dire depuis le tout début de la phase de développement !

Alberto Novelli, chef de toutes les operations de l'ATV. Crédits : ESA
2001, Alberto Novelli, qui a commencé sa carrière chez Air Italia, avant de rejoindre l’ESA en 1990, est nommé à la direction des opérations. Son équipe est transférée, en 2003, à Toulouse, au sein du CNES, ma?tre d’ouvrage délégué de l’ESA. ? Les équipes multinationales travaillent en symbiose, c’est indispensable à la réussite de l’opération ?, explique Alberto Novelli. Au total, 18 experts de l’ESA supervisent le travail d’une centaine de techniciens et ingénieurs du CNES, chargés de la conduite des opérations. Et elle n’est pas des moindres !

Un ? melting-pot ? d’experts 24h/24
Depuis son lancement par Ariane, l’ATV est placé sous l’?il vigilant du Centre de contr?le, l’ATV-CC. Cet impressionnant complexe de 700m2 est situé au sein même du Centre spatial toulousain. Au total, une vingtaine de personnes se relaient aux consoles de l’ATV-CC, 7jours/7 et 24h/24, jusqu’au retour du véhicule dans l’atmosphère d’ici 6 mois…

Alberto Novelli et Hervé Come en discussion avec des collègues de l'ATV-CC. Crédits : ESA.

70 postes informatiques et un écran géant au mur permettent aux experts de suivre les mouvements de l’ATV, d’entrer en contact avec les centres de contr?le de l’ISS de Houston (MCC-H) et de Moscou (MCC-M). 4 experts américains, et 4 autres russes, ont même été envoyés sur place pour suivre les man?uvres.

Car l’Europe doit rendre compte des opérations auprès des partenaires américains et russes. ? C’est la première grande opération tripartite, qui mêle Europe, Etats-Unis et Russie. Cela explique la complexité d’une telle mission, sur laquelle l’Europe de l’espace fait ses preuves ?, rappelle Alberto Novelli, avant de conclure que tout cela est ? vraiment passionnant... ?
? Allo Houston, Allo Moscou, ici Toulouse ! ?
Il est 14h à Toulouse, 7h du matin à Houston et 16h à Moscou. C’est l’heure de la vidéoconférence entre partenaires européen, américain et russe. Depuis les bureaux du CNES, à Toulouse, l’équipe ATV de l’ESA s’est réunit, ce mardi 27 mars, pour une réunion de plus de 2 heures, avec le Johnson Space Center de la NASA et l’Agence spatiale russe, la RKA. Le 3 avril a lieu le ? rendez-vous ? : l’ATV tentera de s’arrimer pour la première fois à l’ISS.

Marcial Vanhove, Directeur de vol du CNES à l'ATV-CC. Crédits : ESA
Mais avant cela, le véhicule doit faire ses preuves et montrer patte blanche auprès des partenaires. Le Jules Verne a pour cela effectué deux vols d’approche. Les experts appellent cela les ? Demo Day ?. Toutes les man?uvres ont été testées et validées auparavant au Centre spatial de Toulouse.

Ce 27 mars, c’est Hervé C?me, responsable de la branche des ? opérations ATV ?, qui présente les résultats aux partenaires. Cet ingénieur fran?ais de 48 ans, dipl?mé de Supélec, est plut?t confiant. A raison : en fin de journée, l’équipe ATV obtient le feu vert de la NASA pour effectuer le ? DemoDay 1 ? (qui s’est déroulé comme prévu, le 29 mars, tout comme le ? Demo Day 2 ? le lendemain). L’aventure continue !

Equipes ESA/CNES en action à Toulouse
Il est 15h, Marcial Vanhove, ingénieur du CNES, spécialiste des systèmes informatiques, quitte son poste de Directeur de vol (Flight Director), après 8h d’affilées aux consoles. C’est lui qui donne le ? GO ? au Directeur de véhicule (Vehicle Manager), ? le pilote ? de l’ATV qui envoie, par satellite, les instructions de vol au cargo spatial.

Marcial Vanhove est remplacé pour la nuit par l’une des cinq homologues, Pascale Flagel, qui s’installe face aux écrans casque et micro sur la tête. ? Encore une journée où il ne s’est rien passé ?, soupire Marcial Vanhove, en lui transmettant les informations de la journée.

Le centre de contr?le ATV-CC à Toulouse. Crédits : ESA.
La ran?on du succès : hormis quelques imprévus mineurs, l’ATV se comporte comme attendu. En attendant les phases d’approche et l’arrimage à l’ISS, moments cruciaux de la mission, le Centre de contr?le est, en effet, en phase dite de ? routine ?. ? On fait simplement du baby-sitting pour le Jules Vernes ?, s’amuse l’ingénieur.

? Nous activons des instruments à bord pour vérifier les fonctionnalités de l’appareil et s’assurer que tout sera prêt pour le jour J ?, explique Pascale Flagel.

? Vehicule Manager : turn the solar-panels ! ?
? Il y a des man?uvres de routine. Par exemple, tous les deux jours, au moment de l’éclipse, il faut tourner les 4 panneaux solaires, ces grandes ailes bleues métalliques, qui alimentent l’ATV ou encore activer chaque jour des outils à bord afin que la NASA puisse calculer son orbite ?.

Pascale Flagel donne alors les ordres au Directeur de véhicule, placé derrière elle. Une fois, l’opération effectuée, Pascale Flagel en rend compte à Emilio De Pasquale, le Directeur de mission, le ? MD ? (Mission Director), en poste ce jour-là. Cet expert de l’ESA supervise le directeur de vol du CNES. ? La nuit, nous sommes simplement d’astreinte téléphonique ?, détaille Emilio De Pasquale. Mais en cas d’anomalie ou d’urgence, il sera réveillé sans scrupule car c’est au directeur de mission de l’ESA que revient de prendre une décision. C’est parti pour 6 mois d’aventure intense

BMW Grips & ATV Bars on a Vstrom HELP

More ATV's Article

A few weeks back I put a post up about going to a taller bar on my Vstrom and the conclusion from the discussion was that the High Bend ATV bars would be the right set up. Someone kindly recommended BMW GS grips that they were using on a similar set up and even supplied the part numbers. However I lost the info, I'm hoping whoever was kind enough to reply to the post finds this again and reposts them.

Thanks.