Official News page 11

PICTURE OF THE WEEK: JULES VERNE SPACECRAFT BREAKS UP

by Hazed

The Jules Verne was a robotic spacecraft intended to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Named after the nineteenth century science fiction author, it was developed by the European Space Agency and successfully docked with the ISS earlier this year, where it remained until last month.

It seems extremely wasteful, but when it left the station it was deliberately steered into the Earth's atmosphere so that it broke up over the Pacific Ocean. Astronomers watched avidly so that they could compare what actually happened with their computer models of spacecraft reentry and breakup.

As the 13-ton vessel fragmented, high definition video recorded its destruction, and here's an incredible picture of the pieces burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.

The Jules Verne was a proof-of-concept vessel, showing that it was possible for a automated spacecraft to safely deliver goods to the ISS. Here's some more pictures - this time, they are artist's impressions of the vehicle at various points in its life.

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