ATV Jules Verne Thermal Vacuum Test Predictions

The first ATV Flight Unit Jules Verne will be subjected to a Thermal Vacuum Test during 2006. The paper describes the large Test Prediction campaign performed by ALCATEL ALENIA SPACE (AAS) with the ATV Integrated Overall Thermal Mathematical Model (IOTMM) developed by AAS, considering the reference inputs data provided by EADS-ST.

The prediction results will be used to adjust and validate the final test procedure with regard to the sequence of operations and set-points to be applied during the TV Test.

The ATV Jules Verne TV test will be performed at ESA-ESTEC LSS vacuum test chamber.

The paper shows:

• the test article configurations that will be adopted during the TV test
• test set-up, i.e. means and the instrumentation as thermocouples, heaters and MLI, specifically implemented for the TV test
• OTMM modifications for adaptation to TV Chamber and test thermal simulations
• A summary of the simulation runs, in terms of sequence, external environment, internal dissipation, proposed set-points
• Justification of performed simulation runs to cover the different phases of the ATV Jules Verne mission.

The OTMM performed simulation runs were 20 about, considering also two cases with sun simulation.