The ATV Takes One Major Step Closer to its Ariane 5 Launch

(January 14, 2008) -- Preparations for Arianespace's first mission in support of the International Space Station marked a major milestone today with the Automated Transfer Vehicle's (ATV) move to the site where it will be integrated with the Ariane 5 ES launcher.

The ATV was transferred from the Spaceport's S5 facility (where it was loaded with cargo and fueled), to the Ariane 5's Final Assembly Building for installation on the launch vehicle.

With a liftoff weight of more than 19 metric tons, the ATV will be orbited by Ariane 5 for a rendezvous with the International Space Station. This spacecraft was developed in a European Space Agency-led program, and will deliver propellant, oxygen, equipment, systems, food and water for the orbital space station and its international crew.

The ATV will be the largest single payload ever launched by Ariane, and its liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana is set for the early morning hours of March 8.

Source : Arianespace

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