ATV

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ATV on pad

Finally on the pad: The Ariane-5 rocket with the ATV-1 Jules Verne spacecraft rolls last few meters on its movable platform before reaching its launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, on March 7, 2008. Copyright © 2008 Anatoly Zak

ORIGIN OF THE PROGRAM

History of the ATV vehicle

Soon after its decision to participate in the US Space Station program, the European Space Agency, ESA, had ordered a study aimed at determining the design and capabilities of a specialized maneuverable space tug which would support the orbital outpost. Although the American Space Shuttle and the European Hermes reusable space planes were expected to deliver and return most of the space station supplies, an unmanned expendable vehicle seemed to be a better choice for the task of carrying some payloads or for disposing of trash.

TECHNOLOGY

Design of the ATV

Slightly bigger than a London double decker bus, the 19-ton ATV vehicle consisted of a cargo module, including a pressurized section and a service module, carrying the avionics and propulsion section. The vehicle was capable of carrying up to 7.4 tons of payload to the ISS.

ariane-5

Launcher: Ariane-5

Specifically for the ATV program, European Space Agency, funded the development of a specialized version of the Ariane-5 rocket, designated Ariane-5ES. It was equipped with an EPS upper stage, developed by EADS Astrium and capable of multiple firings. A specialized adapter, known as SDM, was also introduced for ATV missions.

Launch site: ELA-3

The Ariane-5 rocket carrying ATV would fly from its only existing launch facility in Kourou, French Guiana. Designated ELA-3, it was designed to handle a launch rate of eight to ten Ariane-5 launches per year at one month intervals.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

ATV-1 mission

The launch of the Ariane-5 rocket carrying the first Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV-1 Jules Verne, took place as scheduled during early hours of March 9, 2008, from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Follow-on designs

European Space Agency published several concepts for the follow-on versions of the ATV ship, including one equipped with a capsule capable of returning cargo to Earth. Sources within the European aerospace industry also said that ATV’s engineering experience could serve as a bridge toward a new-generation manned spacecraft, possibly developed in cooperation with Russia.