ATV-5

ESA’s fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) has re-entered the earth’s atmosphere and landed in the southern Pacific Ocean, marking the completion of the ATV programme.

Launched in 2008, the programme carried out five launches in six years using the ATV, which is said to be the most complex space vehicle ever developed in Europe.

As part of the mission, the ATV delivered more than 31,500kg of supplies to the International Space Station, and facilitated the station to raise its orbit, as well as manoeuvre away from space debris, the ESA said.

Named Georges Lemaître, the last ATV was launched aboard the Ariane 5 vehicle from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 29 July 2014.

The cargo ship, which is loaded with waste material, was undocked on 14 February, and manoeuvred itself into a safe trajectory.

"ESA said the development of ATV plays a key role for ESA’s participation in Nasa’s Orion spacecraft programme."

ATV vehicles are designed with automated docking technology, which plays a key role for further space exploration, the agency said.

ESA human spaceflight and operations director Thomas Reiter said: "We look forward to applying the experience and knowledge we gained from designing, building and operating five ATV spacecraft with excellent results to future exploration missions using the successor European Service Module of the Orion vehicle."

The ATV programme is part of an arrangement between the ESA and its international partners. ESA was responsible for supplying equipment and systems to the International Space Station.

The ATV complements Russia’s Progress and Soyuz, Japan’s HII Transfer Vehicle, and the Dragon and Cygnus vehicles of the US.

ESA said the development of ATV plays a key role for ESA’s participation in Nasa’s Orion spacecraft programme.

The agency’s European partners are currently working on the European Service Module, which will be a critical module for Orion to supply power, air and propulsion during the test flight, scheduled to be carried out in 2017.

Image: ESA’s ATV-5 approaching the International Space Station. Photo: courtesy of Roscosmos-O Artemyev.