ATV Jules Verne campaign

Jules Verne ATV en route to French Guiana

Jules Verne, the first automatic transfer vehicle (ATV) left the port of Rotterdam on Tuesday 17 July aboard the cargo ship MN Toucan, generally used by Arianespace for carrying the Ariane launcher.

The four component parts of  the ATV and its accompanying equipment will then be transferred to the Guiana Space Centre where they are to be installed in the S5 building for preparation (tests, assembly and fuelling).

The launch date for this first automatic cargo spacecraft is currently scheduled for the end of January 2008. It will be launched by an Ariane 5 ES launcher fitted with a reignitable stage. CNES teams from the Launcher Directorate (DLA - Direction des Lanceurs) will then qualify this special launcher on behalf of ESA.

The Toulouse control centre, ATV-CC, will be responsible for preparing and then handling operations for the cargo spacecraft as well as coordinating all necessary ground facilities.