ATV Overview

A cutaway view of
the Automated Transfer
Vehicle (ATV) .
(Image: ESA/D. Ducros)

The International Station. This

Space Station (ISS) will be placed in
depends on regular the ATV, which will undock and take a
deliveries of experimental one-way trip to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
equipment and spare parts as
well as food, air and water for its New generation spaceship
permanent crew. From its first launch The ATV, which is equipped with its own propulsion
in March 2008, Europe’s Automated and navigation systems, is a multi–functional
Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will become one of spaceship, which combines both the fully automatic
the indispensable ISS supply spaceships. capabilities of an unmanned vehicle with human
spacecraft safety requirements. To succeed in
Approximately every 17 months or so, the ATV docking safely with the Station, the ATV developed
will deliver up to 7.7 tonnes of cargo to the by the European Space Agency and European
International Space Station 400 km above the
Earth after being launched into orbit from the
European Spaceport in French Guiana by an
Ariane 5 launcher. An on-board high precision
navigation system will automatically guide the
ATV on a rendezvous trajectory towards the ISS,
where it will dock with the Station’s Russian
Service Module, Zvezda.

The ATV will remain attached as a pressurised and

integral part of the Station for up to six months.
During this time the ATV will also be used to
reboost the ISS to a higher altitude to counter the
effects of atmospheric drag. The final part of its
mission will be the removal and disposal of up to
6.4 tonnes of equipment, material and general Artist’s impression of the ATV on approach to docking with the
International Space Station. (Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
waste that is no longer used on the
Industry, has to be a highly sophisticated, new
generation spacecraft.
The exterior is a cylinder, 10.3 metres long and
up to 4.5 metres in diameter covered with an
insulating foil layer on top of meteorite
protection panels. Extending from the main
body of the spacecraft are its characteristic X-
shaped metallic blue solar arrays.
Jules Verne ATV being moved to an area at Europe's
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 3 January 2008 in
order to be loaded with Russian propellants.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
Inside, the ATV consists of two modules: the ATV
Service Module containing the navigation and
propulsion systems; and the pressurised Integrated
Cargo Carrier, which houses the fluid and dry
cargo to be transported to the ISS. The forward
part of this Cargo Carrier docks with the ISS.
Although no one will ever be launched in an ATV,
astronauts, dressed in regular clothing, will be able
to enter its pressurised section from inside the
ISS, when attached to the Station, for loading and
unloading cargo and equipment and other relevant
tasks.
The combination of the ATV and the Ariane 5
provides Europe with the independent capability to
transport European equipment to the Station. This
has very important political and operational
implications. By transporting propellants, gases
and other logistics goods to the Station for the
common use by the ISS partners and ISS systems,
Europe is contributing towards its share of the
Space Station operating costs. At the same time it
enables the delivery of experiments and scientific
facilities for use in the European Columbus
laboratory, which was launched and attached to the
ISS in February 2008.
The Ariane 5 ECA on the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in
Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2007.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
The ATV is developed under ESA contract by a
European industrial consortium lead by EADS
Astrium.
Integrated Cargo Carrier

Artist’s impression (cutaway view) of the ATV Integrated Cargo Carrier attached to the ISS. (Image: ESA/D. Ducros)

The Integrated Cargo Carrier is located on the
forward end of the ATV, i.e. the end that docks
with the ISS. It represents 60% of the total ATV
volume and carries all of the cargo for resupplying
the Station.
The ATV pressurised cargo section is based on
the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
(MPLM), which is already in service as a Shuttle-
carried ‘space barge’ transporting equipment to
and from the Station.

Pressurised Section (Dry cargo)

After docking with the Station and carrying out
important procedures such as leak checks, the
crew can open the Zvezda hatch, remove the ATV
docking mechanism and enter the 48 m³
pressurised section of the Integrated Cargo Carrier.
Up to two astronauts can work, unloading supplies
and conducting experiments, while the hatch
remains constantly opened between the ISS and
the ATV. The pressurised section contains the dry
cargo such as maintenance supplies, science
hardware, and parcels of fresh food, mail and
personal items and accounts for 90% of the volume
of the Integrated Cargo Carrier. The pressurised
section has room for up to eight standard racks Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko floating inside a Multi-
Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) attached to the
which are designed with modular aluminium International Space Station in March 2001. The ATV Integrated
elements to store equipment and transfer bags. Cargo Carrier is based on the MPLM. (Image: NASA)

The Pressurised section of the ATV Integrated Cargo carrier
being loaded with dry cargo on 8 December 2007.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
Unpressurised section (Fluid cargo)
Behind the back wall or interface of the pressurised
section is the unpressurised section of the
Integrated Cargo Carrier where the fluid cargo is
stored. This external bay houses 22 spherical fluid
tanks of different sizes and colours. These tanks
are used to resupply the Station with refuelling
propellant for the Station's own propulsion system,
water and air (oxygen and nitrogen) for the crew.
This cylindrical bay and its tanks are not visible
from outside the ATV as they are enclosed by the
ATV Service Module. The fluid tanks’ contents will
be transferred through either dedicated pipes to the
Station's own fluid lines or through manually
operated hoses.
Clear view of the fluid tanks of the ATV Integrated Cargo
Carrier during procedures to tilt it to an upright position prior to
mating it with the ATV Service Module on 14 December 2007.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
Cargo Capabilities
The ATV is designed to resupply the ISS with up
to 7667 kg of cargo. Depending on the needs of
the ISS, the ATV is able to accommodate very
different combinations of supplies, carrying up to:
- 840 kg of drinking water;
- 100 kg of air (oxygen and nitrogen);
- 860 kg of refuelling propellant for the Station’s
propulsion system;
- 4700 kg of propellant for re-boost;
- 5500 kg of dry supplies like bags, drawers and
fresh food;
Front Cone (Rendezvous and Docking
Equipment)
The ‘nose’ of the Integrated Cargo Carrier houses
the Russian-made docking system and avionics
and propulsion hardware, critical to the automatic
approach, rendezvous and docking of the ATV
with the ISS. There are two videometers (image
processing system able to compute distance and
orientation of the ISS), two telegoniometers,
The Front Cone of the ATV Integrated Cargo Carrier pictured
on 16 August 2007 in Kourou, French Guiana. The Russian-
made docking system is protected by a red cap.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
(which continuously calculate distance and
direction from the ATV to the ISS), two star
trackers (able to recognize constellations in the
sky), two visual video targets (used by the ISS
crew for visual monitoring of the ATV final
approach) and 8 minijets for attitude control.
The ATV is the active spacecraft during rendezvous
with the ISS. The 235 kg Russian docking system of
the ATV docks to the back of the Zvezda module
(this docking port can also be used for docking
Progress supply craft and Soyuz spacecraft). The
ATV docking mechanism enables physical,
electrical and propellant connections with the
Station. It also ensures the ISS crew access to the
pressurised section of the Integrated Cargo Carrier
through its 80 cm-diameter hatch by physically
detaching the docking mechanism. The Russian
docking system has been continuously refined since
it was originally developed in the late 1960s for the
Salyut space station programme, and it remains the
worldwide state of the art in docking mechanisms.
ATV Service Module
Avionics
The avionics bay is the brain of the ATV. It looks
like a cylindrical ring of 1.36m high, and is located
in the upper part of the Service Module. It
accommodates critical items like computers,
gyroscopes, navigation and control systems and
communications equipment. All these items are
mounted on ten equipment carrier trays which are
protected from the temperature variations by
state-of-the-art heat pipes. The ATV Service
Module takes advantage of a very sophisticated
architecture for its hardware and software in order
to keep the ATV functioning in case of hardware
failure or main malfunction.

ESA and NASA managers and astronauts inside the ATV

Avionics Bay on 19 November 2003 prior to mating with the
propulsion bay of the ATV Service Module. (Image: ESA)
The ATV Service Module being hoisted into position for
mating with the Integrated Cargo Carrier on
Electrical Power
12 December 2007. Two solar panels shown folded up. The Service Module houses the four solar arrays,
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG) which are deployed 100 minutes after lift-off.
These reach a total span of 22.3m and provide
The unpressurised ATV Service Module includes
propulsion systems, electrical power (including
solar arrays), computers, communications and
most of the avionics. With its own flight-control
and propulsion systems, the ATV has a high level
of autonomy which allows it to stay in free flight for
long periods of time, as well as to dock even if the
Station is totally dormant and unmanned. After
docking, these systems will be used to perform
ISS attitude control, debris avoidance
manoeuvres and raise the Station's orbit to
overcome the effects of atmospheric drag. On
completion of the resupply mission the systems
will be used to de-orbit the spacecraft, carrying up
to 6.4 tonnes of used equipment and general ISS
waste, and perform a controlled destructive re- Inspection of solar array for Jules Verne ATV at Europe's
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 1 November 2007.
entry high above the Pacific Ocean. (Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
electrical power to rechargeable batteries, which ISS attitude control, debris avoidance
are vital for powering ATV systems during eclipse manoeuvres and reboosting the Station. In order
periods in orbit. The solar arrays are comprised of to perform this reboost the ATV may use up to 4.7
silicium solar cells, spread on 4 carbon fibre tonnes of its own propellant at intervals of 10 to 45
reinforced plastic sandwich panels per array with days. At the end of the mission the ATV Service
a total surface area of 33.6m² (4 X 8,4m²) and Module thrusters will use their remaining fuel to
able to produce an average of 4800 watts. de-orbit the spacecraft.
Mounted on the ATV Service Module, the four sun
tracking arrays are totally independent and can
get the best orientation to the sun thanks to
rotating mechanisms.

Attitude control thruster cluster. (Image: EADS Astrium)

All the propellant tanks for spaceship propulsion

are located in the ATV Service Module, between
the main engines and the avionics bay. There are
eight titanium propellant tanks and 2 high
pressure carbon-fibre helium tanks. The
propellant tanks hold up to seven tonnes of
monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen
tetroxide (N2O4), part of which will be used for the
station attitude and orbit control. These
propellants are pressurised by the helium.
End of the ATV propulsion bay clearly showing four
main thrusters and one complete attitude control
thruster cluster (lower right) covered with red protective
caps. Photo taken on 13 December 2007.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)

Propulsion
The ATV propulsion system provides the
spaceship with the capability to transport the ATV
to the ISS, navigating as a fully automatic
spaceship with four main engines (providing 490
N thrust) plus 28 smaller thrusters (providing 220
N) for attitude control. All valves and thrusters are
controlled by four control units connected to the
main ATV computers. Once docked to the Station,
the ATV’s propulsion capabilities can be used for
Key Mission Data

MISSION
Mission Name: ATV Jules Verne Mission
ISS Mission Designation ATV1

LAUNCHER AND SPACECRAFT

Spacecraft Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
Spacecraft mass at launch 19,357 kg
Launcher Ariane 5 ES ATV

LAUNCH SITE European Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana

MISSION PARAMETERS

Launch parameters
Scheduled Launch date 9 March 2008 (00:59 local time 04:59 CET)
Inclination 51.6 °
Initial Orbit Altitude 260 km

In-orbit parameters
Phasing 9 – 29 March 2008 *
Demo Day 1 29 March 2008
Demo Day 2 31 March 2008

Docking/post-docking parameters
Docking altitude 340 km
Docking date 3 April 2008
Undocking August 2008

ISS Crew at docking Peggy Whitson (NASA)

Yuri Malenchenko (Roscosmos)
Garrett Reisman (NASA)

* The phasing period will also include a period from 18 – 26 March in which the ATV will be in parked mode, holding a distance of
2000 km from the Station.

(please not that all dates listed above are open to variation)
Pre-Launch to Final Countdown
The ATV will be launched from the European
Spaceport in French Guiana by an Ariane 5 ES
ATV. It will be injected into a 51.6º orbit, the same
as the ISS, and at an altitude of around 260 km,
below the Stations' altitude of around 340 km.
Finally, with 6 min 30 s until ignition of the main
stage engine, the automatic sequence covering
the final checks and launcher activation
procedures begins. The launcher becomes
autonomous with 1 min until main stage ignition
as the power supply is switched to Ariane 5
internal power.

With 22 s until main stage ignition the flight control

systems on the lower stages are activated,
followed 10 s later by a pressure check on the
main stage tanks. The main stage engine is now
ignited.

Ariane 5 moving by rail to the launch pad.

One day before lift off the Ariane 5 launcher with

the ATV enclosed in its launch fairing is
transferred from the Final Assembly Building to
the launch pad along a rail track. Once the mobile
launch platform is connected to the launch area
final countdown can begin.

If everything is running smoothly at the ATV

Control Centre, at the Jupiter Launch Control
Centre in Kourou and other associated sites and
networks with 5 ½ h until launch, then the Ariane
5 main stage cryogenic tanks are filled. Also
during the final countdown the various launcher
subsystems are activated and checked and the
flight programme is loaded.

For the ATV with 2 hours until launch, data

exchanges occur between the ATV Control Centre
and Kourou and the latest software data is loaded
into the ATV.

15 minutes after a ‘go’ on launch status at launch

Artist’s impression of the ATV/Ariane 5 ES ATV launch
minus 30 minutes, the Ariane 5 starts its final
configuration (cutaway view). (Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
synchronised sequence, the ATV becomes fully
autonomous and the ATVs in-orbit flight profile is
uploaded. A final assessment that everything is
running smoothly at the control centres and
different sites is carried out with 10 minutes until
launch. With 8 minutes until launch the ATV
switches to autonomous power.
Launch and Early Orbit Activities
Once it has been ascertained that the Vulcain 2
engine is running normally, 7 s after ignition, the
solid rocket boosters are ignited and the Ariane 5
lifts off from the launch pad. The Ariane 5 is on
automatic pilot and is carefully monitored as it
carries the ATV into orbit.

Artist’s impression of the ATV enclosed in Ariane’s protective

fairing during the launch phase. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)

launcher leaves the Earth’s atmosphere some 3 ½

minutes after launch the fairing is jettisoned,
lightening the launcher’s load by approximately
2.5 tonnes.
Launch of Ariane 5 ECA on 11 March 2007 from the
European Spaceport in French Guiana.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)

Approximately 138 seconds after liftoff, at an

altitude of 60 km, pyrotechnic devices free the
boosters and separation rockets distance the
spent boosters from the main stage. The boosters
then continue their trajectory for about 100 km
before falling into the Atlantic Ocean,
approximately 450 km from the launch site, where
they will be recovered.

The ATV is well protected under the fairing at

the top of the Ariane 5 against the high
aerodynamic pressures occurring during launch Ariane 5 booster in the Atlantic Ocean during recovery
up to an altitude of about 100km. Once the operations. (Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)

Artist’s impression of the Ariane 5/ATV following fairing
jettison. (Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
Just over 9 minutes after launch the Vulcain engine
shuts down. At this point the main stage separates
and follows a ballistic trajectory during before re-
entering the atmosphere. Most of it burns up in the
atmosphere and the remaining parts fall into the
Pacific Ocean, some 2000 km off the coast of
South America.
Engineers at Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana
lowering the ATV launch vehicle's storable propellant upper
stage inside the main cryogenic stage on 11 January 2008.
(Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
After main stage separation over the Atlantic
Ocean, the Aestus engine of the upper stage will
perform a first boost lasting 8 minutes to reach an
elliptical orbit (136 km x 260 km). After a coasting
phase to the apogee of the elliptical orbit lasting
45 minutes, a second boost with a duration of 30
seconds serves to reach the ATV circular injection
orbit at an altitude of 260 km.
This second firing of the Aestus engine will take
place over southeast Australia, just over an hour
into the flight. At this point ATV telemetry will start
as will the initialisation of the ATV propulsion
system and the ATV Control Centre will carry out a
check of ATV status. Just short of 70 minutes after
launch the ATV will separate from the Ariane 5
upper stage over the Pacific and will activate
navigation and propulsion systems. Responsibility
for the ATV flight has now transferred from Kourou
to the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France.
ATV communications are optimised by setting up
a link via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
System. About 25 minutes after final separation
the ATV will be automatically navigating using
inputs from its startrackers. This is followed five
minutes later with deployment of the ATV’s solar
panels and 30 minutes after this with activation of
the ATVs onboard GPS. The ATV is now a fully
automatic spaceship navigating towards the
International Space Station.
For the Ariane 5 upper stage one orbit after
separation, now over Western Australia, the Aestus
engine will re-ignite briefly, for a third time. This will
cause the launcher's upper stage to de-orbit safely
and burn up during a precise destructive re-entry
over of the South Pacific Ocean.
Artist’s impression of the ATV in orbit. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
Two hours after separation an ATV antenna,
needed for final approach to the ISS, is deployed.
In-Orbit Activities: Phasing and Demonstration Days
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle approaching the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
A few hours after ATV separation from the
launcher the ATV goes into the phasing stage of
the mission, which will last for about three weeks.
A set of orbital manoeuvres prepared by the ATV
Control Centre are executed in order to bring the
ATV from its current position in orbit to an ISS
interface point at a distance of 39km behind and
5km below the ISS.
During this phasing period (after about 10 days
in orbit) the ATV will hold in a parked position
2000 km from the ISS. This is to allow the next
shuttle flight (STS-123 due for launch on 11
March 2008) to complete its ISS mission, undock
and land before the ATV proceeds with its
mission. This also provides a good opportunity to
assess the ATV’s ability to hold such a position
in orbit for future missions.
The phasing period will include a demonstration
of the ATV’s attitude control, a demonstration of
the ATV Control Centre’s capability to perform
orbit navigation with the ATV’s GPS, and a
demonstration of the ATV’s ability to execute
orbital manoeuvres. However, the main objective
that will be demonstrated during this period is the
ATV’s capability to execute collision avoidance
manoeuvres, one of the means of ensuring the
safety of the ISS.
The phasing stage of in-orbit activities is
followed by two demonstration days prior to
docking the first planned on 29 March, and the
second two days later. The first demonstration
day will verify that the ATV can perform relative
navigation with the ISS using relative GPS to
successfully and safely manoeuvre the ATV to a
point 3.5km behind the ISS and at the same
orbital altitude. At this point an escape
manoeuvre will be commanded by the ATV
Control Centre, which will test that the ATV can
be brought into a safe orbit.
 Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle coming into close proximity with the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)

After the escape manoeuvre has been pre-defined position 19 m behind the Station. At
successfully completed, a series of orbital this point another escape manoeuvre will be
manoeuvres prepared by the ATV Control Centre initiated to bring the ATV away from close
will be executed by the ATV to bring it back to the proximity of the Station. This phase lasts about 6
ISS interface point 39 km behind and 5 km below hours.
the ISS to await continuation of the mission. Data
collected will be analysed at the ATV Control
Centre to make sure that everything has gone
according to plan.

The second demonstration day will test ATV close

proximity manoeuvring and control including
testing contingency manoeuvres for the ATV
Control Centre and the ISS crew. This will give
further confidence in proceeding with a close
approach towards the ISS.

At the beginning of demonstration day 2 the ATV

will be manoeuvred to a point 249 m behind the
ISS. At this closer distance the videometer and
telegoniometer sensor equipment can be tested.
After moving on from this point the approach of
the ATV to the ISS will be slowed from 50 cm to 7
cm/s over the first 200 m. The ATV will now
manoeuvre to within 11 metres of the docking port
of the ISS Russian Service Module Zvezda where
it will be commanded to hold its position. From
here the ATV will be commanded back to another
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle
coming into close proximity with the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
With this demonstration concluded a series of
orbital manoeuvres prepared by ATV Control
Centre will be executed by the ATV to bring it back
to the interface point for evaluation of the second
demonstration day and to wait on the final go for
actual rendezvous and docking a few days later.
Rendezvous and Docking

Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle coming to dock with the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)

A few days after the successful completion of the The docking will be fully automatic with the
phasing and demonstration days in orbit the ATV videometer’s eye-like sensors, combined with
is now ready to dock with the ISS. The ATV sets additional parallel data ensuring an automatic
up a direct link with the Station, allowing the ATV docking with an incredible 1.5 cm precision. If
to start relative and accurate navigation to the ISS there are any last-minute problems, either the
using GPS technology. ATV’s computers, the control centre or the
Station’s crew can trigger a pre-programmed
The ATV again raises its orbital altitude to that of sequence of anti-collision manoeuvres, which is
the ISS, closing in to a distance of 3.5 km, and a fully independent of the main navigation system.
further thruster burn will bring the cargo ship up to
the 249 m mark where videometer and
telegoniometer data will be used by the ATV
computers for final approach and docking
manoeuvres. Again the approach of the ATV to
the ISS will slow down to 7cm/s though the
absolute speed will remain close to 28000 km/h.

As it gets closer to its objective, ground controllers

at the ATV Control Centre direct 'Jules Verne' in a
step-by-step predefined approach. This approach
is carried out in coordination with the Mission
Control Centre in Moscow, since the ATV docks on
the Russian Zvezda Service Module of the ISS,
and in overall coordination with Mission Control
Centre in Houston, which is responsible for overall
coordination of ISS activities. For each of these
Artist’s impression of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle
steps, the ATV performs automated manoeuvres. docked with the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
Docked Activities

Artist’s impression of the ATV being used to raise the altitude of the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)

With the ATV securely docked, the Station’s crew Station’s altitude to counter the effects of
can enter the cargo section and remove the atmospheric drag.
payload: supplies, science hardware, parcels of
fresh food, as well as mail and personal items
from their families. Meanwhile, the ATV’s fluid
tanks will be connected automatically (propellant)
or manually (water and air) to transfer their
contents to the Station.

The Station crew will manually release the air

supply carried by the ATV directly into the ISS
cabin atmosphere. For up to six months, the ATV,
mostly in dormant mode, will remain attached to
the ISS with the hatch remaining open. The crew
will steadily fill the cargo section with the Station’s
used hardware, material no longer used on the
Station and general waste.
The Automated Transfer Vehicle will enable ESA to transport
As and when it is deemed necessary and prudent, payloads to the International Space Station.
the ATV’s thrusters will be used to boost the (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
Undocking/Destructive Reentry
Artist’s impression of the ATV burning up in Earth’s atmosphere at the end its mission. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
Once its re-supply mission is accomplished, the
ATV, filled with up to 6.4 tonnes of material no
longer used on the Station, will be closed by the
crew and automatically separated. Its thrusters
will use their remaining fuel to de-orbit the
spacecraft, not at the shallow angle used for the
relatively gentle re-entry of human spaceflight
vehicles, but on a steep flight path to perform a
controlled destructive re-entry high above the
Pacific Ocean over a predefined uninhabited
South Pacific area.
From its first operational flight in 2008, Europe’s
most challenging spaceship will play a vital role in
Station servicing. It is also a way for Europe to
contribute to the ISS running costs by creating
jobs within European industry rather than by
money transfers to its international partners.
Depending on the operational lifetime of the ISS,
ESA plans to build several ATVs. Numerous
companies from ten European countries, as well
additional companies from Russia and the United
States share the work, with EADS Astrium in
France as the prime contractor (See Organisations
and Industry).
ATV Payload
When the Jules Verne ATV is launched to the ISS
it will be carrying around 8.3 tonnes of wet and dry
cargo with an additional 2.3 tonnes of cargo
support hardware. The cargo will be used in order
to transport the ATV to the ISS, to reboost the ISS
to a higher orbiting altitude, to resupply the ISS,
and to deorbit the ATV with waste and items no
longer needed on the ISS at the end of the
mission. The cargo is split as follows:
Jules Verne ATV fuelling operations get underway at the
European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in January
2008. (Image: ESA /CNES/Arianespace/Photo optique video du CSG)
Wet Cargo
Propulsion propellant (5.8 tonnes)
This takes up by far the largest proportion of the
ATV cargo. The ATV will use about 60% of the
propellant in autonomously raising its orbit,
rendezvousing and docking with the ISS, as well
as verifying different manoeuvres on the way. It
will also be used for deorbiting the ATV on
conclusion of its mission. The remaining 40% of
the propellant will be used by the ATV to reboost
the ISS to a higher orbiting altitude in order to
counter the effects of atmospheric drag, which
cause the ISS to very slowly lose altitude, and for
ISS attitude control. The propellant consists of two
different fluids: monomethylhydrazine (MMH)
accounting for around 2200 kg and mixed oxides
of nitrogen (MON3) accounting for around 3600 kg.
Refuelling propellant (860 kg)
Once attached to the Station, 860 kg of refuelling
propellant will be transferred from the ATV to the
ISS. This consists of two different fluids: the fuel
unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and
the oxidiser, nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4), which
provides a source of oxygen so the fuel can ignite
and burn in orbit. This will be used by the ISS for
orbit and attitude control.
Water (270 kg)
This is what is known as potable water for use by
the crew for drinking, food rehydration and oral
hygiene.
Oxygen (20 kg)
This is used for resupply of oxygen in the
atmosphere inside the ISS, which is similar to that
on Earth. Once in orbit, the 20 kg of oxygen
carried up by Jules Verne ATV, is manually
injected by the crew into the ISS atmosphere.
NASA astronaut Marsha Ivins holds a luxury 19th century edition
of the Jules Verne book 'De la Terre à la Lune' (From the Earth
to the Moon) during the ATV Cargo Bench Review held at
Thales Alenia Space Italia, in Turin, Italy, on 3 October 2007.
(Image: ESA)
Dry Cargo
A total of 1.3 tonnes of dry cargo is being
transported to the ISS inside the Integrated Cargo
Carrier of the ATV. This includes 500 kg of food
for the crew, 136 kg of spare parts for the
European Columbus laboratory, which was
launched and attached to the ISS in February
2008, 80 kg of clothing, and a number of
additional items including public relations items to
commemorate the Jules Verne ATV launch. This
includes two Jules Verne manuscripts.
(Please note that all amounts listed are subject to rounding-off)
Rendezvous and Docking Technology
From a distance of around 30 km from the ISS the
ATV will use relative GPS in order to close in on the
ISS up to a distance of 249 m. Hereafter the ATV
will use a brand new European-built technology
called a videometer, together with additional data
from telegoniometers, to successfully rendezvous
and dock with Russian Zvezda Service Module of
the International Space Station.

On the mobile platform simulating Zvezda (right), a set of

retroreflectors are facing sensors mounted on an articulated
industrial robotic arm simulating the ATV (left). The relative
motion between the two is identical to the one expected when
the ATV docks with the ISS. (Image: ESA)

Each of the 26 retroreflectors, which looks like a

small 2.5 cm cube, has the capability to reflect the
laser beam exactly in the direction it was sent from.
The precision of these optical devices is such that
Retroreflectors (Image: ESA) the reflection of the beam does not deviate by more
than 3 mm over a distance of 300 m.
Elements of the ATV’s rendezvous and docking
system known as retroreflectors are located on
the aft end of Zvezda. The videometer on the
front of the ATV emits pulsed laser beams, which
are passively reflected by these retroreflectors
resulting in unique light patterns. The videometer
analyses the image formed by the pattern of light
spots. This image processing provides the ATV
with its relative position and orientation to the
ISS, thus allowing it to identify, approach and
mate to Zvezda’s docking mechanism.

Two sets of different patterns of retroreflectors are

installed at very precise locations on the Zvezda
Service Module. One is a large 1.5 m sided
triangular shape and the other a smaller pyramidal
shape 8.5 cm in height. The Jules Verne videometer. (Image: ESA)

Engineers monitor ATV rendezvous testing at Europe’s largest
ship hull test facility, 100 km west of Paris in 2006. (Image: ESA)
The Jules Verne videometer is designed and
manufactured by Sodern, a subsidiary of EADS, in
Limeil-Brévannes, a Paris suburb. All ATV
spacecraft will have two identical videometers,
installed 20 cm apart on the front of the ATV. Both
are active during rendezvous with one acting as a
back-up.
To add redundancy and a safety margin to the
critical rendezvous operations, a secondary
sensor - called a telegoniometer, which is totally
independent and parallel to the videometer – will
also be used. The telegoniometer, which works in
a similar way as a radar, will continuously
calculate the distance and direction from the ATV
to the ISS.
ESA and EADS managers observing ATV rendezvous testing
in August 2006. From left to right: Nicolas Chamussy, ATV
Programme Manager for EADS, Jean-Jacques Dordain,
Director General of ESA, John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project
Manager, Michael Menking, V.P. Orbital and Reusable
Systems at EADS, Daniel Sacotte, ESA Director of Human
Spaceflight and ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy, senior
advisor to the ATV programme. (Image: ESA)
Like the two videometers, two telegoniometers
(one back-up), located on the ATV front cone,
emit laser pulses (at a different wavelength to the
videometers) towards the retroflectors on the ISS.
The travel time of the pulses, which are reflected
back, gives the distance between the two
spacecraft. The direction from the ATV to the ISS
is given by the orientation of the telegoniometers’
two built-in mirrors, which rotate to aim the laser
towards the retroreflectors.
The distance and direction information from the
telegoniometer can be compared to that obtained
via image processing using the videometer.
However, only the videometer can compute the
orientation of the ISS. Activated at the same
250 m distance from the ISS, the telegoniometer’s
radar-like pulses provide 10 000 hits per second,
whereas the camera-like videometer illuminates
its objective from once per second to 10 times per
second as it approaches its target.
Artist’s impression of the ATV targetting a laser beam
at the ISS. (Image: ESA/D.Ducros)
In support of these two independent systems,
each with its own back-up, additional data/
monitoring capabilities are also provided by the
Russian Kurs radar-based system within the final
3 ½ km to docking with visual imagery provided by
a video camera on Zvezda for the final 500 m.
Imagery is also available from US cameras in a
distance from 1 km to 250 m from the Station.
Ariane 5 ES ATV
Artist’s impression of Ariane 5 ES ATV (cutaway view)
(Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
The Ariane launcher came into service with
Ariane 1 in 1979. Following its development
through Ariane 2, Ariane 3 and Ariane 4, the
Ariane 5 made its first launch from the European
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in December
1999 with ESA’s XMM satellite. Since it became
operational Ariane 5 has launched satellites for
communications, Earth observation and scientific
research.
All Ariane 5 versions are composed of a central
core stage to which two solid rocket boosters are
attached. On top of this, different upper stage
configurations are integrated. The ES ATV version
of the Ariane 5 has been designed to place the
ATV into a 260 km circular low Earth orbit inclined
at 51.6˚. From this orbit the ATV will use its own
propulsion system to automatically reach and dock
with the International Space Station (ISS).
The Ariane 5 ES ATV is 53 m in height, has a
diameter of up to 5.4 m and a mass of 760 tonnes
at lift off. It is composed of the same lower
sections as an Ariane 5 ECA using the same
boosters and the same cryogenic main stage
equipped with the improved Vulcain 2 engine. The
upper composite is composed of a re-ignitable
Storable Propellant Stage and a new reinforced
vehicle equipment bay as it will be placing more
than twice the payload mass of any previous
Ariane 5 launch into orbit.
Boosters
The Ariane 5 solid propellant boosters are the
largest solid rocket boosters ever produced in
Europe. Weighing 37 tonnes each when empty,
they are 31 m high and 3 m in diameter. Each
booster consists of a steel casing enclosing three
segments and can contain in total about 238
tonnes of propellant. Although the casings are
only 8 mm thick, they can resist pressures of up to
64 bar. Ariane-5 boosters provide 1100 tonnes of
thrust, roughly 92% of the total thrust at liftoff.
The propellant has three main constituents:
• ammonium perchlorate: the oxidiser
• aluminium powder: acts as the reducer
• polybutadiene: binder and catalyser
At the base of each booster is the solid rocket
engine nozzle. This can be swivelled up to 7.3°
degrees around its axis to vary the direction of
thrust. Approximately 132 seconds after liftoff, at
an altitude of 60 km, pyrotechnic devices free the
boosters and separation rockets distance the
spent boosters from the main stage. The boosters
eventually fall into the Atlantic Ocean where they
are recovered.
Cryogenic Main Stage
Ariane 5’s cryogenic main stage is 30.5 m high
with a diameter of 5.4 m. When empty it weighs
only 12.5 tonnes and approximately 170 tonnes
when full of propellant. It is essentially composed
of an aluminium tank with two compartments: an
upper compartment for liquid oxygen with a
capacity of 120 m3 and a lower compartment for
liquid hydrogen with a capacity of 390 m3.
 Artist’s impression of Ariane 5 ES ATV upper composite (cutaway view) (Image: ESA/D. Ducros)
At the base of the Cryogenic Main Stage is the
Vulcain engine which delivers a thrust in the order
of 130 tonnes and operates for just under 10
minutes after launch. It provides 8% of the total
thrust needed at liftoff and the full thrust after
booster separation and before ignition of the
upper stage. Two high-speed turbopumps force
the cryogenic propellants into the combustion and
thrust chamber at high pressure at a rate of 235
kg/sec. During the ascent, the engine nozzle can
be swivelled to control the launcher's trajectory.
Storable Propellant Stage
The Storable Propellant Stage or upper stage is
3.35 m high with a diameter ranging from 3.94 m
at the bottom to 2.62 m at the top. It weighs
roughly 11 tonnes when fully loaded. The mission
of the upper stage will be to provide the extra
energy to inject the ATV into the target orbit
following main stage separation. The upper stage
is essentially composed of a supporting structure,
two pairs of propellant tanks and an ‘Aestus’
engine. The propellants used in the upper stage
are monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen peroxide.
The pressure-fed Aestus engine can swivel along
two axes through a maximum angle of 16°.
Vehicle Equipment Bay
The Vehicle Equipment Bay is often called the
‘brains’ of the launcher. Situated on top of the
cryogenic main stage, it interfaces directly with the
upper stage. The vehicle equipment bay is a big
cylindrical ‘basket’ 5.4 m in diameter. It stands
1.56 m tall and weighs 1,300 kg without
propellant. The Storable Propellant Stage sits in
its centre.
The Vehicle Equipment Bay can autonomously
orchestrate the systems required to control a flight
such as engine ignition, separation of the
boosters, the upper stage, and operation and
release of the individual payloads.
One of the features of the equipment bay is an
independent attitude control system that can
direct the launcher throughout its propulsion
phases to reach the required orbit.
Fairing
The conical-shaped fairing is positioned on the
very top of the Ariane 5 launcher and consists of
two half shells connected by the vertical separation
system. Externally it is made of carbon-covered
aluminium honeycomb panels of variable thickness.
Its function will be to protect the ATV as the
launcher rises from the launch pad through the
atmosphere to an altitude of approximately
100 km. Once the launcher leaves the Earth’s
atmosphere, approximately three minutes after lift
off, the fairing is jettisoned.
European Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana
Aerial view of the Ariane 5 launch pad and surrounding buildings at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. (Image: ESA)
The ATV will be launched from the European
Spaceport in French Guiana. It covers an area of
750 km2 and is surrounded on two sides by
equatorial forest. To the east it has a 50 km
coastline bordering the Atlantic Ocean and to the
south lies the town of Kourou.
In 1964 the French Government chose Kourou,
from 14 other sites, as a base from which to launch
its satellites. When the European Space Agency
came into being in 1975, the French Government
offered to share the site with ESA. For its part, ESA
approved funding to upgrade the launch facilities at
the site to prepare the Spaceport for the Ariane
launchers under development.
Since then, ESA has continued to fund two thirds
of the Spaceport's annual budget to finance the
operations and services and also finances new
facilities to accommodate new launchers such as
Vega or for the exploitation of Soyuz. To date,
ESA has invested more than €1.6 billion in
improving and developing the ground facilities at
Europe’s Spaceport and owns the special
infrastructure built for the Ariane launchers.
Kourou lies at latitude 5°3', just over 500 km north
of the equator. Its nearness to the equator makes
it ideally placed for launches into geostationary
transfer orbit as few changes have to be made to
a satellite’s trajectory.
Launchers also profit from the ‘slingshot’ effect
created by the speed of the Earth’s rotation
around the axis of the Poles. This increases the
speed of a launcher by 460 m per second. These
important factors save fuel and money, and
prolong the active life of satellites.
Thanks to its geographical position, Europe’s
Spaceport offers a launch angle of 102°, enabling
a wide range of missions from east to north. In
fact, Europe’s Spaceport is so well placed that it
can carry out all possible space missions.
Safety is equally important. French Guiana is
scarcely populated and 90% of the country is
covered by equatorial forests. In addition there is
no risk of cyclones or earthquakes.
The high levels of efficiency, safety and reliability
at Europe’s Spaceport are well known. In addition
to its many European clients, the spaceport also
undertakes launches for industries in the United
States, Japan, Canada, India and Brazil.
ATV Control Centre, Toulouse, France
(Responsible for ATV operations)
The Flight Control Room of the ATV Control Centre. (Image: ESA)
The ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC) is located in
the elegant, modern-style Fermat Building of the
French Space Agency’s (CNES) Toulouse Space
Centre. Under contracts signed in 2003 CNES
has developed the ATV-CC and has prepared the
operations of the first Automated Transfer Vehicle
mission, named Jules Verne under the
management of ESA.
Under the authority of ESA, the ATV-CC teams
(flight control, flight dynamics and engineering
support) will execute the pre-programmed mission
plans and, if needed, implement any changes as
well as monitoring and controlling the ATV’s
orientation and orbital trajectory en-route to and
approaching the ISS. These are challenging tasks,
requiring a very high degree of technical skill, since
it will be the first time that Europe accomplishes
these kinds of operations.
After launch, under the responsibility of the
Control Centre in Toulouse, the ATV will separate
from Ariane 5 and, using its own navigation
systems, will start the journey to ISS where its
optical rendezvous sensors will be used to dock
automatically. At the end of it’s four-month
mission the ATV Control Centre will command the
ATV to separate from the ISS, loaded with waste,
and carry out a controlled destructive re-entry into
Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
An ATV mission will require complex interactions
and shared responsibilities between control centres
dispersed throughout the world. First, the ATV
Control Centre will work with the Guiana Space
Centre, in charge of launch and deployment of the
ATV. For rendezvous, docking and departure, the
ATV Control Centre will work in close coordination
with the Mission Control Centres in Moscow and
Houston. All the ATV ground control commands
will be issued from Toulouse. For example, in case
of a major malfunction during the rendezvous, the
ATV Control Centre, as well as the ISS crew, can
initiate the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre to move
the spacecraft away from the Station before
making another rendezvous attempt.
To allow continuous coordination with the other
control centres and to remain in contact with the
ATV during the mission, using the NASA Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite System as well as ESA‘s
Artemis relay satellite, the ATV Control Centre will
rely on the European ISS ground communication
network, which is controlled from the Columbus
Control Centre located at DLR, in
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.

The Columbus Control Centre. (Image: DLR)

Control Rooms and Operations Teams

Four teams work at the ATV Control Centre, in
three control rooms: Teams at work in the ATV Control Centre. (Image: CNES/B. Guindre)

1. The European Space Agency’s ATV
Operations Management Team, in charge
of the overall operations preparation and
execution activities, and of decision
making for off-nominal situations;
2. The Flight Control Team, in charge of the
ATV operations;
3. The Flight Dynamics Team, which is
responsible for monitoring the ATV
trajectory and attitude as well as
computing manoeuvres.
The Flight Dynamics Control room, is home to the
CNES flight dynamics team.
The third room houses an Engineering Support
Team comprising experts from ESA and EADS-
Astrium (the ATV prime contractor) who are ready
to support the flight controllers in case of
problems with the ATV systems. The engineering
support team gets involved when something is not
working as expected. Since these development
engineers are experts in the ATV systems, they
are able to advise the flight control team on
corrective measures in case of a failure.

4. The Engineering Support Team, providing

flight analysis and expertise for the whole
mission.

The main control room is dedicated to the ATV

mission execution/management performed by the
CNES flight control team, headed by the flight
director. He is in charge of the real time decisions
in coordination with the ESA ATV Mission
Director, who sits along side the CNES Flight
Director.
Jupiter Control Centre, Kourou, French Guiana
(Responsible for Ariane 5 launch and ascent and placing ATV into orbit)

The Jupiter Control Centre in Kourou prior to an Ariane 5 launch. (Image: ESA/CNES/ARIANESPACE)

The Jupiter Control Centre has responsibility for
launch of the Ariane 5 ES ATV, which will place
the ATV into orbit up until the point of separation
of the ATV with the Ariane 5 upper stage.
This control centre, situated in the Jupiter building
about 12 km away from the Ariane launch pad,
will receive all the information regarding the ATV
launch. Final countdown takes place here and the
flight of the Ariane 5 is closely monitored until the
ATV has been accurately placed into the correct
orbit.
On the day of a launch, the decision to launch is
taken by the Flight Director from Arianespace,
based on information on the status of the
launcher, the ATV and the meteorological
conditions at the launch site.
The Director of Operations is responsible for
coordinating the launch sequence and for the final
countdown. After lift-off the Director of Operations
provides information on the status of the main
automatically initiated events, such as the
separation of the boosters and the ignition of the
upper stage.
As soon as the ATV is correctly injected into space,
the Director of Operations can announce that the
Ariane 5 mission has been successfully completed.
Mission Control Centre – Moscow, Russia
(Responsible for Russian ISS modules and Soyuz/Progress spacecraft)

ISS Control Room at the Mission Control Centre in Korolev near Moscow. (Image: NASA)

For ATV missions, The Russian Mission Control
Centre is the mission authority for all ATV-ISS
joint operations (rendezvous, attached phase
active operations, etc.) and is responsible for
controlling the ISS during the run-up to ATV
rendezvous, for providing the interface with the
ISS crew and for controlling ATV for all attached
active operations with the ISS such as reboosting
the orbit.
The control centre, known as TsUP in Russian, is
situated in Korolev (formerly Kaliningrad) near
Moscow. TsNIIMash, the Russian acronym for the
Central Research Institute for Machine Building,
operates the facility on behalf of the Russian
Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos. The ISS
flight control teams are provided by RSC-Energia.
TsUP was built in 1973 and was used as the
Mission Control Centre of the Mir and Salyut
space stations and houses the flight control rooms
for the Progress and Soyuz launches.
Mission Control Center – Houston, Texas, USA
(Overall Control of ISS activities)

ISS Flight Control Room at the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas during the transfer of ESA’s Columbus laboratory from Space
Shuttle Atlantis to the European-built Node 2 of the International Space Station on 11 February 2008. (Image: NASA)

The NASA Mission Control Center, located at
the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in
Houston, Texas has been the heart of NASA
Human Spaceflight operations since 1965.
There are different Flight Control Rooms at the
control centre covering ISS Operations and
Shuttle flights. The ISS Flight Control Room
began operations on 20 November 1998. It
acts as the command and coordination centre
for all ISS activities, including ISS flight
control.
For ATV missions, Mission Control – Houston has
overall ISS mission authority and coordination
responsibility. It has responsibility for overall ISS
safety and leading the investigation of anomalies
as well as for providing Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite services for the ATV mission.
ATV Industrial Team
Geographical distribution of ATV industral team in Europe
The ATV is part of the European participation in
the ISS which is an optional ESA programme. Ten
of the ESA Member States have decided to
participate in ISS project and, as such, are also
involved in the ATV.
Each country decides in which optional
programme they wish to participate and the
amount of their contribution. ESA operates on the
basis of geographical return, i.e. it invests in each
Member State, through industrial contracts for
space programmes, an amount corresponding to
each country's contribution.
The ATV project involves dozens of companies
and thousands of technicians and engineers from
ten European countries under the prime
contractorship of EADS Astrium (formerly EADS
Space Transportation in France prior to
reintegration into EADS Astrium). In addition to
the business units (Astrium Space Transportation
and Astrium Satellites) and subsidiaries of EADS,
the European companies also involved in the ATV
programme include Thales Alenia Space, Oerlikon
Space, Dutch Space (now part of EADS Astrium),
Snecma (part of the SAFRAN group), MAN and
many others.
It also implicates the cooperation of a number of
Russian companies, whose main contractor is
RSC Energia, which has built the ATV docking
mechanism, the refuelling system and the
associated electronics. The programme also
involves the cooperation and a number of US
companies.
Rendezvous and Docking (3 April 2008)

Rendezvous and Docking Events Rendezvous and Docking Schedule

On 3 April 2008, Jules Verne ATV approaches ISS Distance to ISS Critical events
for the first docking attempt.
*S-1/2 (39 km behind and 5 ATV in waiting mode for final
km below) go ahead.
At point S3, at a distance of 250 m, the ATV
computers use videometer and telegoniometer data S1 (15.5 km behind and 5 Homing starts.
for final approach and docking manoeuvres. The km below)
approach of ATV to the ISS slows down to 7cm/s. S1 planned GO
11:17 GMT/13:17 CEST
As Jules Verne gets closer to its objective, ATV
Control Centre flight controllers direct ATV in a S2 (3.5 km behind and External lights activated.
step-by-step predefined approach. The ISS crew 100 m above) Russian Kurs radar-based
monitors the approach using the Simvol screen S2 arrival system activated - ISS crew
inside Zvezda. If ATV moves out of predefined 12:04 GMT/14:04 CEST can begin using this data.
S2 depart Closing begins using relative
corridor, the crew initiates a CAM manoeuvre.
12:36 GMT/14:36 CEST GPS.
The approach requires authorisation from Russian 500 m Video system turned on for
Mission Control Centre in Moscow (MCC-M) ISS crew to view ATV on
because the ATV docks with the Russian Zvezda Simvol screen.
segment of ISS. An overall coordination with S3 (249 m behind) Videometer and
Mission Control Centre in Houston (MCC-H) is also S3 arrival telegoniometer are activated.
required as they are responsible for the entire ISS. 13:16 GMT/15:16 CEST Go for Final Approach 1.
For each of these steps, ATV performs automated S3 depart Speed of ATV slows down
13:52 GMT/15:52 CEST from about 40 cm per second
manoeuvres.
to 7 cm per second.

ATV Commands S4 (19 m behind) Close range videometer

HOLD – Generally reaction to a minor problem that S4 arrival navigation is used. Pointing
14:13 GMT/16:13 CEST manoeuvre towards the
can be solved in acceptable time. Hold will only be
S4 depart Docking Port axis. Go for
taken into account by ATV between S3 and S4. 14:29 GMT/16:29 CEST Final Approach 2.
ATV-CC sends RESUME command to continue.
RETREAT – Can be commanded by ATV-CC and S41 (11 m behind) Go to continue the Final
ISS crew between S3 and docking. ATV will always S41 arrival Approach 2.
14:31 GMT/16:31 CEST
retreat to the previous Station Keeping point. S41 depart
ESCAPE – Can be triggered autonomously by 14:37 GMT/16:37 CEST
ATV, by ATV-CC or by ISS crew. Escape
manoeuvre is a 4 m/s retrograde manoeuvre. Capture ATV docks to Zvezda.
14:40 GMT/16:40 CEST
Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM) – Can be
triggered autonomously on board ATV, by ATV-CC Hooks closed ATV permanently
(ABORT command), or by the ISS crew (ABORT 15:14 GMT/17:14 CEST connected to Zvezda.
command, so-called ‘red-button cam’).
Credits Contacts

This document has been compiled, produced and European Space Agency (ESA)
written by the Coordination Office of the European Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity
Space Agency’s Directorate of Human and Exploration Programmes
Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, PO Box 299
Programmes in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. It 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
has been compiled from internal ESA sources Tel: +31 (0) 71 565 6799
with additional images and information kindly Fax: +31 (0) 71 565 5441
supplied by the following organisations: www.esa.int/spaceflight
www.esa.int/atv
www.esa.int/columbus
EADS Astrium
ESA Media Relations
French Space Agency (CNES) ESA Head Office, Paris, France.
Tel. + 33 1 5369 7155
National Aeronautics and Fax. + 33 1 5369 7690
Space Administration (NASA) contactesa@esa.int

Thales Alenia Space

EADS Astrium
http://www.astrium.eads.net/

French Space Agency (CNES)

http://www.cnes.fr/

National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA)
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov

Thales Alenia Space

http://www.thalesonline.com/space
 Utilisation Relevant Data
Launch Configuration
Payload 8 racks with 2 x 0.314 m3 and 2 x 0.414 m3
envelope: each 1.146 m3 in front of 4 of these 8 racks
Cargo mass: Dry cargo: 1,500 - 5,500 kg
Water: 0 - 840 kg
Gas (Nitrogen, Oxygen, air, 2 gases/flight): 0 -
100 kg
ISS Refueling propellant: 0 - 860 kg (306 kg
of fuel, 554 kg of oxidizer)
ISS re-boost and attitude control propellant: 0 -
4,700kg
Total cargo upload capacity: 7,667 kg
Launch vehicle: Ariane5(300x300km,51.6°transferorbit
ATV will be launched with its solar panels
folded to the body of the spacecraft. Electrical
power will be supplied by non rechargeable
batteries.
Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)
Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana.
European ser vicing and logistics vehicle
First flight: Spring 2008
Flight rate: Mean: 1 ATV/18 months The Automated Transfer Vehicle is an unmanned automatic vehicle which is put in orbit by the
On Orbit Configuration European Ariane 5 launcher. It provides the International Space Station with: pressurized cargo,
Deployed solar arrays, with a total span of water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and attitude control propellant. It also removes waste from the station and
22.3 m, that provide electrical power to re-boosts it to a higher altitude to compensate for the atmospheric drag.
rechargeable batteries for eclipse periods.
Automated flight towards the International
Space Station.
Flight Hardware
Propulsion and re-boost system
Avionics equipment
Guidance navigation and control system
Ranging S-Band Antenna GPS antennas TDRS antennas Attitude control and braking
Communications system
Power generation and storage system
cues Boom for positioning for communication thrusters (28 x 220 N)
Thermal control system
Russian docking and refueling system

Propulsion Module (PM) Water and gas tank Stand-off Primary Main engine
structure (4 x 490 N)

Payload
Multi-Layer 2 x visual targets
racks
Insulation for crew monitoring
blanket

2 x star
trackers

Russian 4 x solar arrays

Micrometeoroid and
docking for generation of
orbital debris
and refueling electricity
protection system
system

Radio frequency link with

4 x optical Space Station Multi-Layer
rendez-vous sensors for proximity operations Insulation blanket

Spacecraft Integrated Cargo Carrier

subassembly (ICC)
PROJECT: International
Illustrations: ESA/D. Ducros

Space Station
TITLE: Automated DOCUMENT N°: REV.
Transfer Vehicle EUC-ESA-FSH-003 1.2
www.spaceflight.esa.int/users ERASMUS User Centre and Communication Office - Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes
 Specifications
Dimensions
Length: 9,794 mm (probe retracted)
Largest diameter: 4,480 mm
Solar arrays span: 22,281 mm
Mass Budget
Vehicle dry mass: 10,470 kg
Vehicle consumables: 2,613 kg
Total vehicle mass: 13,083 kg
Total cargo upload capacity: 7,500 kg
Mass at launch (max): 20,750 kg
Waste download capacity: 6,300 kg
(420 km altitude, 51.6° inclination)
Propulsion
Main propulsion system: 4 x 490 N thrusters (Pressurized
liquid bi-propellant system)
Attitude control system: 28 x 220 N thrusters (Pressurized
liquid bi-propellant system)
Propellant: Monomethyl hydrazine fuel and
Nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer
Pressurization: Helium pressurant at 31 MPa
Communications Infrastructure
To ground: S-band via TDRS satellite
ATV to ISS: S-band antenna via Proximity link
Navigation: GPS
Thermal/Environmental Control
Thermal Control: Multi Layer Insulation material,
2045 1360
active thermal control using
4480
4482 Variable & Constant Conductive
Heat Pipes and paints
ECLSS: Fire detection, air circulation, air
temperature monitoring
Electrical Power
Ascent to ISS and de-orbit: 4 Solar panel wings of 4 panels
each and 40 Ah rechargeable
batteries
Number of arrays: 4
Number of panels/array: 4
Generated power: 3,800 W after 6 months in orbit
11 Required power: < 400 W Dormant mode,
15 supplied by ISS: < 900 W Active mode
8
Main Construction Material
Pressure shell: Al - 2219
Micrometeoroid and Debris
Protection System:
Primary bumper: Al-6061-T6
Secondary bumper: Nextel/Kevlar blankets
Internal structure (racks): Al-6061-T6
∅ 22281
22316 Thermal insulation: Goldised Kapton Multi-layer Insula-
tion blanket & aluminised beta cloth
Solar arrays: Silicium Solar Cells on 4 Carbon
Fibre Reinforced Plastic
Sandwich panels
Main Contractor
EADS-Space Transportation,
Leading a consortium of many
sub-contractors
957 3405 4916
8
115

9794 (probe retracted)

10269 (probe deployed)

PROJECT: SCALE : 1:75

International
Space Station DIMENSIONS : mm

TITLE: Automated DOCUMENT N° : REV.

Transfer Vehicle EUC-ESA-FSH-003 1.2