Automated Transfer Vehicle

The five ATVs were named after important European figures in science and engineering: Jules Verne, Johannes Kepler, Edoardo Amaldi, Albert Einstein, and Georges Lemaître. Following several delays to the program, the first of these was launched in March 2008. These ATVs performed supply missions to the ISS, transporting various payloads such as propellant, water, air, food, and scientific research equipment; ATVs also reboosted the station into a higher orbit while docked. The ATV was an uncrewed platform that operated with a high level of automation, such as its docking sequence; at no point was it used for transporting passengers.

Further use of the ATV was proposed in 2008. Various further developments, including crewed versions of the ATV as well as opportunities to reuse sections or elements of its technology, were studied by both the ESA and Airbus Defence and Space, the principal manufacturer of the vehicle.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7419793.stm |title=Berlin unveils 'crewed spaceship' |work=BBC News |date=28 May 2008}}{{cite web | url = http://www.esa.int/esaMI/ATV/SEMNFZOR4CF_0.html | title = ATV evolution: Advanced Reentry Vehicle (ARV) | publisher = ESA | date = 25 March 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sen.com/news/astrium-awarded-two-atv-evolution-studies-from-esa.html |title=Europe to explore the future of the ATV |publisher=Sen.com |date=23 June 2012 |access-date=4 September 2012}}

However, on 2 April 2012, the ESA announced that the ATV program would be terminated following the launch of the fifth ATV in 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1204/02atvfuture/ |title=Breaking News | ATV production terminated as decision on follow-on nears |publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=2 April 2012 |access-date=4 September 2012}}

In 2012, ESA member states decided that the ATV design might be adapted to serve as the service module of the NASA Orion spacecraft.

In January 2013, ESA and NASA announced that they would proceed with a combined Orion and ATV derived service module, later renamed European Service Module (ESM), which would serve as a major component for the Orion crewed spacecraft.[http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv/orion_feature_011613.html NASA Signs Agreement for a European-Provided Orion Service Module] NASA’s Artemis I launched on November 16, 2022, carried the Orion spacecraft with the European Service Module (ESM) manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space for two planned low fly-by orbits to the Moon. ESA will provide the ESMs for the Artemis program up to Artemis VI with Artemis III to provide the first humans to set foot on the Moon since 1972.

During the 1990s, as the International Space Station program was taking place, it was collectively recognised by the 15 participating nations that, upon completion, the International Space Station (ISS), a crewed space station in Low Earth orbit (LEO), would require regular resupply missions in order to meet the needs of the onboard crew as well as to deliver apparatus to support the various scientific tests that would be performed on board. In October 1995, it was agreed that, amongst the various contributions to the ISS program that Europe would assume responsibility for under the auspices of the European Space Agency (ESA), one of them would be the Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV; this logistics-orientated spacecraft would perform the identified resupply missions to the ISS.Jeziorski, Andrzej. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/counting-on-columbus-36998/ "Counting on Columbus."] Flight International, 13 May 1998.

On 9 December 1998, the ESA awarded a $470 million contract to proceed with development work on the ATV to French aerospace company Aérospatiale. While Aérospatiale served as the principal contractor for the ATV, it was joined by multiple major subcontractors, including Italian manufacturer Alenia Spazio, Franco-British firm Matra Marconi Space and German aerospace company DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA); some components were also provided by Russian firm S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. Prior to 2000, DASA was to serve as the prime contractor for production, after which the role would be gradually transferred to Aérospatiale. At the point at which the contract had been awarded, it was envisioned that the first flight of the ATV would be conducted during September 2003.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/european-atv-gets-go-ahead-45887/ "European ATV gets go-ahead."] Flight International, 9 December 1998.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/special-delivery-46107/ "Special delivery."] Flight International, 16 December 1998.

The launch of the first ATV, which had been named Jules Verne, was subject to multiple delays, which were partially generated by problems encountered with the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle, as well as a substantial software re-write.Warwick, Graham. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/crystal-gazing-192071/ "Crystal gazing."] Flight International, 4 January 2005.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ariane-5-atv-bay-faces-tough-tests-198882/ "Ariane 5 ATV bay faces tough tests."] Flight International, 7 June 2005. By May 2003, it was set to be launched sometime during late 2004.Furniss, Tim. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ministers-on-european-space-rescue-mission-165413/ "Ministers on European space rescue mission."] Flight International, 13 May 2003.Furniss, Tim. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/face-the-facts-with-jean-yves-le-gall-166890/ "Face the facts with... Jean-Yves Le Gall."] Flight International, 15 June 2003. By mid 2004, it had been announced that launch of the first ATV, which was by then undergoing electrical testing following the completion of integration work, had been postponed due to technical issues, and was reportedly scheduled to be launched during late 2005, following the issuing of a renegotiated $1.1 billion contract between the ESA and the prime contractor.Furniss, Tim. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/esa-seals-11bn-transfer-vehicle-deal-181270/ "ESA seals $1.1bn transfer vehicle deal."] Flight International, 4 May 2004. In March 2005, another launch delay was declared, due to the need for greater development of the failure-mode software along with launch-window timing changes, which put the planned ATV launch back from late 2005 to an undetermined date during 2006.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/launch-delay-for-iss-supply-ship-195569/ "Launch delay for ISS supply ship."] Flight International, 22 March 2005.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/atv-launch-delayed-200270/ "ATV launch delayed."] Flight International, 12 July 2005. In October 2005, it was clarified that the new launch date for the first ATV would be during 2007.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/atv-delayed-to-may-2007-202215/ "ATV delayed to May 2007."] Flight International, 18 October 2005.

In September 2006, it was announced that the final stage of testing on the Ariane 5's customised ATV stage was within its final phase.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/testing-of-upgraded-arianes-atv-stage-enters-final-209087/ "Testing of upgraded Ariane's ATV stage enters final phase."] Flight International, 19 September 2006. In December 2006, it was announced that the first ATV had completed its vacuum test, marking the successful completion of the key tests and enabling a final launch date to be set.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/atv-vacuum-test-completed-but-launch-date-slips-agai-211212/ "ATV vacuum test completed but launch date slips again."] Flight International, 19 December 2006. In April 2007, the ATV was subject to four-month long qualification process in response to operational concerns, including safety queries originating from the U.S., and to examine the vehicle's potential commercialisation.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/qualification-process-to-test-esas-atv-212705/ "Qualification process to test ESA's ATV."] Flight International, 20 March 2007.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nasa-assesses-iss-supply-options-211965/ "NASA assesses ISS supply options."] Flight International, 6 February 2007.

Following multiple restructuring and ownership changes,Jasper, Chris. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/astrium-business-to-split-into-satellite-and-launche-127952/ "Astrium business to split into satellite and launcher arms."] Flight International, 27 March 2001. the prime contractor for the ATV became Airbus Defence and Space, which led a consortium of many sub-contractors. While development work had been started in Les Mureaux, France, much of the activity relocated to Bremen, Germany, as the project moved from its development to the production stage, in which work on the four initial units started. In order to facilitate the relationship between the contractor and the ESA, an integrated ESA team at the Les Mureaux site was established and maintained for the duration of the development.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Airbus Defence and Space builds the ATVs in its facility in Bremen. In 2004, contracts and accords were signed for four additional ATVs, which were envisioned to be launched at a rate of around one every two years, bringing the total order, including the first, Jules-Verne, to five vehicles. According to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the development cost of the ATV was approximately €1.35 billion.{{cite web |url=http://www.dlr.de/iss/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4609//7588_read-11385/ |title=Europe sets a course for the ISS |publisher=German Aerospace Center |date=25 February 2008 |access-date=17 August 2011}} Reportedly, each ATV spacecraft was costed at roughly US$300 million, which did not include launch costs.{{cite news |url=http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0912/01atvhtv/ |title=Space station partners assess logistics needs beyond 2015 |author=Stephen Clark |publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=1 December 2009 |access-date=1 December 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091204012947/http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0912/01atvhtv/| archive-date= 4 December 2009 | url-status= live}} In March 2005, RSC Energia signed a €40 million contract with one of the main subcontractors of Airbus Defence and Space, the Italian company Alenia Spazio (now Thales Alenia Space), to supply the Russian Docking System, refuelling system, and Russian Equipment Control System.{{cite press release |url=http://www.comspacewatch.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=16465 |title=Alenia Spazio signs contract with RSC-Energia for the production phase of the ATV space vehicle |date=22 March 2005 |access-date=31 March 2009 |publisher=Alenia Spazio |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814065159/http://www.comspacewatch.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=16465 |archive-date=14 August 2007}} Within the Airbus Defence and Space led project, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the pressurized cargo carrier section of the ATV and manufactures these at the firm's facility in Turin, Italy.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

On 31 July 2007, the first ATV, Jules Verne, arrived at the ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, after a nearly two-week journey from Rotterdam harbour.{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMRMJWUP4F_index_0.html |title=ATV arrives at Europe's Spaceport |publisher=European Space Agency |date=1 August 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070808112650/http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMRMJWUP4F_index_0.html| archive-date= 8 August 2007 | url-status= live}} On 9 March 2008, Jules Verne was launched on top of an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou.{{cite web | url = http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Worldwide_Testing_And_ISS_Traffic_Push_ATV_Launch_To_Autumn_2007_999.html | title = Worldwide Testing And ISS Traffic Push ATV Launch To Autumn 2007 | publisher = SpaceDaily | date = 23 March 2007}}Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/europes-cargo-spaceship-makes-maiden-flight-towards-222112/ "Europe's cargo spaceship makes maiden flight towards space station."] Flight International, 10 March 2008. On 3 April 2008, Jules Verne succeeded in automatically docking with the ISS, proving the capabilities of the ESA's first fully automated, expendable cargo resupply spacecraft.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/atv-an-automatic-success-222457/ "ATV: An automatic success."] Flight International, 1 April 2008.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/esas-cargo-spaceship-achieves-automatic-docking-222763/ "ESA's cargo spaceship achieves automatic docking."] Flight International, 7 April 2008. The arrival of the ATV came at a time at which there were public concerns over the logistical practicality of supplying the ISS.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/science-could-be-victim-of-iss-cargo-pressure-327223/ "Science could be victim of ISS cargo pressure."] Flight International, 3 June 2009.

In addition to its use by ESA and Russia, the ATV was at one point under consideration to perform services for NASA as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program to replace the retiring Space Shuttle in its orbital cargo carrying capacity. Under the proposal, which had been issued by a joint venture between EADS and Boeing, the ATV would be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, using a Delta IV rocket.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-set-to-offer-delta-iv-launched-atv-196453/ "Boeing set to offer Delta IV-launched ATV."] Flight International, 12 April 2005.Sirko, Robert., Kevin Reyes and Jacques Breton. [http://iafastro.directory/iac/archive/browse/IAC-06/D2/3/5846/ "Compatibility of Delta IV with the Transfer Vehicles HTV and ATV for Cargo Delivery."] International Astronautical Federation, 2006. One speculated use for NASA's ATV was to achieve the de-orbiting of the ISS once the space station had reached the end of its service life, being the only vehicle capable of doing so at that time after the Shuttle's retirement.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nasa-may-buy-esas-atv-to-de-orbit-iss-at-end-of-lif-215291/ "NASA may buy ESA's ATV to de-orbit ISS at end of life."] Flight International, 3 July 2007. Ultimately, the proposal was not awarded with a corresponding contract.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) was a 1990s-design expendable cargo spacecraft. Each vehicle consisted of two distinct sections, the systems bus and the integrated cargo carrier. The system bus contained the ATV's propulsion system, avionics bays, and solar arrays; it was principally used following the vehicle's detachment from the Ariane 5 launcher to automatically traverse the remaining distance and dock with the ISS, the system bus would be inaccessible to the astronauts on board. The integrated cargo carrier consisted of a pressurised module, external bays for fluid and gas cargoes, further avionics and rendezvous sensors, and the docking mechanism. The primary structure of the ATV (of Al-2219) is protected by a meteorite and debris protection system. The first ATV was built in the 2000s and the first one to fly in space was in 2008.

The docking system of the ATV consists of a pair of videometers and a pair of telegoniometers manufactured by Sodern, a subsidiary of Airbus.{{cite web | url = http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/ATV/infokit/english/04_ATVRendDockTech.pdf | title = Rendezvouz and Docking Technology |date=February 2008 | publisher = ESA}} Data processing for the rendezvous docking maneuver and emergency abort systems were designed and manufactured by CRISA. Additional monitoring data and redundancy was provided by the Kurs[http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEMW4ZOR4CF_0.html Power system and avionics], ESA, 3 March 2008, "The ATV Service Module also accommodates several rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries and some redundant items like a Sun sensor and a Russian-made KURS antenna."Bryan Burrough, Dragonfly, {{ISBN|0-06-093269-4}}, page 66, "made by a government-owned company called Radiopribor, located in Kiev" automatic docking system, which was also used by Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. Visual imagery is provided by a camera on the Zvezda ISS module.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

In terms of its role, the ATV was designed to complement the smaller Russian Progress spacecraft, possessing three times its useful payload capacity. Similar to the Progress, it would carry both bulk liquids and relatively fragile freight, which would be stored within a cargo hold maintained at a pressurized shirt-sleeve environment in order that astronauts would be able to access payloads without the need to put on spacesuits. {{Cn|date=July 2021}}

File:ATV shielding after impact test ESA313132.jpg

The pressurized cargo section of the ATV was based on the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), which was a Shuttle-carried "space barge/container" that had been previously used for transporting equipment to and from the Station. Unlike the MPLM which had to be berthed to the ISS, the ATV used the same docking mechanism as employed upon the Progress. The ATV, like the Progress, also serves as a container for the station's waste. Each ATV weighs 20.7 tonnes at launch and has a cargo capacity of 8 tonnes:

• {{convert|1500|kg|lb}} to {{convert|5500|kg|lb}} of dry cargo (re-supply goods, scientific payload, etc.),
• Up to {{convert|840|kg|lb}} of water,
• Up to {{convert|100|kg|lb}} of gas (nitrogen, oxygen, air), with up to two gases per flight,
• Up to {{convert|4700|kg|lb}} of propellant for the re-boost maneuver and refueling the station. The ATV propellant used for re-boost (monomethylhydrazine fuel and N₂O₄ oxidizer) is of a different type from the payload refueling propellant (UDMH fuel and N₂O₄ oxidizer).

The system bus section of the ATV had solar panels (3,800 W), 40 Ah of batteries, propellant tanks, four R-4D (490 N) thrusters, and 28 attitude control and braking thrusters (220 N).

File:ISS after STS-124 06 2008.jpg

ATVs were intended to be routinely launched every 17 months to conduct resupply missions to the International Space Station.{{cite web |title=Mission concept and the role of ATV |url=http://www.esa.int/esaMI/ATV/SEMOP432VBF_0.html |publisher=ESA |date=3 March 2008 | access-date=24 March 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080312232720/http://www.esa.int/esaMI/ATV/SEMOP432VBF_0.html| archive-date= 12 March 2008 | url-status= live}} The vehicle was launched into an orbital plane compatible with the ISS via the Ariane 5 expendable launch system; shortly after detaching from the launcher, the ATV would deploy its solar panels. Over an average mission time of 100 hours, it would perform phasing manoeuvers from its initial orbital high point under direct control from the ground-based European Space Operations Centre at Darmstadt, Germany, using NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. A second series of manoeuvres would bring the ATV to the precise altitude of the ISS before commencing integrated operations for the final approach with the Space Station, during which mission authority transferred to NASA's Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas.

The ATV would employ a combination of GPS and astronavigation techniques to automatically rendezvous with the Space Station. Telemetry contact was established between the ISS and ATV during its preparations for the final approach. Once at a distance of 249 m, the onboard computers of the ATV employed both videometer and telegoniometer data to perform the final approach and docking manoeuvres; the docking itself to the Zvezda module, was fully automated. In the event of any last-minute technical issues or problems, a pre-programmed sequence of anti-collision manoeuvres, fully independent of the main navigation system, can be activated by the flight engineers aboard the station. Upon contact with the module, the automatic capture sequence would be activated.

Once the ATV had successfully docked, the station crew would be able to enter the vehicle's cargo section and directly access the payload on board. The ATV's liquid tanks would be connected to the station's plumbing by the crew to discharge their contents in a controlled manner, while the station crew would manually release air components directly into the ISS's atmosphere. For up to six months, the ATV, which would remain mainly in dormant mode, could remain attached to the ISS with the hatch remaining open throughout. The crew would then steadily fill the cargo section with the station's waste material for disposal. At intervals of 10 to 45 days, the ATV would be reactivated and its thrusters would typically be used to boost the station's altitude.

Once its mission was accomplished, the ATV, which would often be filled with up to 6.5 tonnes of waste, would separate from the ISS. Its thrusters would deliberately move the spacecraft out of orbit (de-orbit) and place it on a steep flight path to perform a controlled destructive re-entry high above the Pacific Ocean.

File:ATV-2 launch from ISS.jpg|Johannes Kepler Automated Transfer Vehicle's launch as seen from the ISS

File:Iss016e034176.jpg|Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle approaches the International Space Station

File:Crew in ATV with Jules Verne manuscript.jpg|ATV interior with Expedition 17 crewmembers

File:Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle re-enters Earth's atmosphere.jpg|Jules Verne as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere in a controlled burn-up after undocking from ISS

{{ATV missions}}

On 2 April 2012, the ESA announced that the ATV program that had paid their share of the ISS running costs until 2017 would end after the fifth ATV had been launched in 2014, at that point they had the required components to assemble the next two but beyond that avionics components utilised in the design were no longer being manufactured. A similar deal to provide their share of the ISS operating costs through hardware contribution to the Orion programme was mooted.

{{Main|Jules Verne ATV}}

File:Jules verne at iss.jpg

The first flight of the ATV was delayed on multiple occasions prior to its launch on 9 March 2008. It was named Jules Verne, in memory of the first science fiction writer of modern times. The Jules Verne carried two of the author's original handwritten manuscripts, to be received by the ISS crew as symbolic tokens of the success of the maiden flight.{{cite web |title=Europe's 'Jules Verne' spacecraft carries namesake's notes on maiden voyage |url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030708a.html |publisher=collectSPACE.com |date=7 March 2008 |access-date=7 March 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080310203557/http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030708a.html| archive-date= 10 March 2008 | url-status= live}}

The craft was launched into a {{convert|300|km|adj=on}} orbit atop an Ariane 5 rocket from the equatorial ELA-3 launch site at the Guiana Space Centre. The ATV separated from the rocket, and following weeks of tests and orbit adjustments, successfully docked in the International Space Station at 14:45 UTC on 3 April 2008.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

In the early morning hours of 29 September 2008, the Jules Verne burnt up on entering the atmosphere above an uninhabited section of the Pacific Ocean, southwest of Tahiti.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

{{Main|Johannes Kepler ATV}}

Launched on 17 February 2011,{{cite web|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v200/110217launch/index.html|title=Europe dispatches Johannes Kepler to space station|date=17 February 2011|access-date=20 March 2011|author=Stephen Clark|publisher=Spaceflight Now}} Johannes Kepler was at the time the heaviest payload ever launched by the European Space Agency{{cite web | url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM5ZFY1LJG_index_0.html | title=Europe's ATV space ferry ready for launch | date=3 February 2011 | publisher=ESA | access-date=3 February 2011}} and carried 7000 kg of cargo to the ISS.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/02/ariane-mission-launch-atv-2-space-station/|title=Ariane 5 launches ATV-2 for journey to the ISS|author=Chris Gebhardt|publisher=NASAspaceflight.com|date=15 February 2011|access-date=20 March 2011}} The first launch attempt on 15 February 2011 had been halted during the final countdown at four minutes from lift off due to an erroneous signal from one of the rocket's fuel tanks.{{cite web|url=http://www.universetoday.com/83331/atv-johannes-kepler-launch-to-space-station-delayed-to-wednesday/ |title=ATV 'Johannes Kepler' Launch to Space Station Delayed to Wednesday |publisher=Universetoday.com |date=15 February 2011 |access-date=4 September 2012}}

On 29 April 2011, the engines of the ATV were used to rotate the ISS in order for a Russian Progress supply craft to dock with the station.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2011/04/29/atv-rotates-the-iss-for-progress-docking/|title=ATV rotates the ISS for Progress docking|date=29 April 2011|access-date=3 May 2011}}

Due to the delayed launch of STS-134 the mission of Johannes Kepler was extended, and it undocked from the ISS on 20 June 2011. It deorbited a day later on 21 June 2011.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.esa.int/atv/2011/04/15/atv-undocking-set-for-20-june/|title=ATV undocking set for 20 June|date=15 April 2011|access-date=3 May 2011}}

{{Main|Edoardo Amaldi ATV}}

File:ATV-3 approaches the International Space Station 7.jpg

The third ATV vehicle arrived in French Guiana in late August 2011 and was launched on 23 March 2012.{{cite web|last=Gutierrez-Marques|first=Pablo|title=Express mail to low earth orbit|url=http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00003168/|publisher=The Planetary Society|access-date=6 September 2011}} It docked with the International Space Station at 2231 GMT on 28 March 2012.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

{{Main|Albert Einstein ATV}}

Albert Einstein ATV was the heaviest spacecraft launched by Ariane at the time and lifted off at 21:52:11 GMT on 5 June 2013.{{cite web |publisher=ESA| title=Europe's heaviest cargo ship launched to Space Station | url= http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ATV/Europe_s_heaviest_cargo_ship_launched_to_Space_Station | date=5 June 2013 | access-date=6 June 2013}} It docked with the ISS on 15 June 2013 at 14:07 GMT.{{cite web|title=Europe's largest spaceship reaches its orbital port|url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ATV/Europe_s_largest_spaceship_reaches_its_orbital_port|publisher=ESA|date=14 June 2013|access-date=14 June 2013}}

{{Main|Georges Lemaître ATV}}

Named after the Belgian astronomer Georges Lemaître. The spacecraft launched during the night of 29 July (23:44 GMT, 20:44 local time, 30 July 01:44 CEST), 2014, on a mission to supply the International Space Station (ISS) with propellant, water, air, and dry cargo, and an artwork by artist Katie Paterson. It docked with the ISS on 12 August at 13:30 GMT.{{cite web |title=ATV completes final automated docking |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ATV_completes_final_automated_docking |publisher= ESA|access-date=1 September 2014}} Georges Lemaître had a total mass of almost {{convert|20.3|t}}, a mass that exceeded that of all previously launched ATVs. This also made it the heaviest spacecraft ever launched by an Ariane rocket.{{cite web

|title=Airbus Defence and Space prepares launch of ATV-5 "Georges Lemaître"

|url=http://airbusdefenceandspace.com/airbus-defence-and-space-prepares-launch-of-atv-5-georges-lemai%CC%82tre/

|publisher=Airbus Defence and Space

|access-date=1 September 2014

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919015040/http://airbusdefenceandspace.com/airbus-defence-and-space-prepares-launch-of-atv-5-georges-lemai%CC%82tre/

|archive-date=19 September 2014

}}

ATV missions were monitored and controlled from the ATV Control Centre (ATV-CC), located at the Toulouse Space Centre (CST) in Toulouse, France. The ATV-CC was responsible for the planning and the issuing of commands for the orbital maneuvers and mission tasks of each ATV, from the moment of separation from its launch vehicle, until it burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. The ATV-CC has a direct communication line with the Columbus Control Center (Col-CC) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Col-CC provides ATV-CC with access to both the NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System and the European Artemis communication networks in order to communicate with both the ATV and the ISS. The ATV-CC coordinated its actions with NASA's Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center (MCC-H) in Houston and the Russian FKA Mission Control Center (TsUP or MCC-M) in Moscow, as well as the ATV launch site at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/esaMI/ATV/SEMHM0PR4CF_0.html|title=ATV Control Centre|publisher=European Space Agency|access-date=3 April 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080317183214/http://www.esa.int/esaMI/ATV/SEMHM0PR4CF_0.html| archive-date= 17 March 2008 | url-status= live}}

{{main|European Service Module}}

File:Orion with ATV SM.jpg

In May 2011 the ESA director general announced a possible collaboration with NASA to work on a successor to the ATV.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13286238 |title=US and Europe plan new spaceship |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2011 |access-date=14 May 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110506062354/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13286238| archive-date= 6 May 2011 | url-status= live}} Later that year, a proposal to utilise an ATV derived service module for NASA's Orion capsule was revealed.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14986217 |title=European tech could propel Nasa's Orion capsule |work=BBC News |date=20 September 2011 |access-date=20 September 2011}} This service module would be provided as barter for the ESA's 8% share of the operating expense of the ISS, which had been fulfilled up to 2017 by the five ATVs. Developing a service module for Orion would cover the ESA's share of ISS operation up to 2020.{{cite web|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1107/26mpcveurope/index.html |title=Europe seeks greater role in NASA's exploration missions |publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=26 June 2011 |access-date=26 June 2011}}

{{quote box|width=23em|"ESA's contribution is going to be critical to the success of Orion's 2017 mission"|—NASA Orion Program manager}}

In June 2012, the ESA awarded two separate studies to Airbus, each worth €6.5 million, to evaluate options for using technology and experience gained from ATV and Columbus related work to cover the ESA's share of ISS operation past 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.astrium.eads.net/en/press_centre/astrium-awarded-two-atv-evolution-studies-from-esa.html |title=Astrium awarded two ATV evolution studies from ESA |publisher=Astrium |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=23 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403045627/http://www.astrium.eads.net/en/press_centre/astrium-awarded-two-atv-evolution-studies-from-esa.html |archive-date=3 April 2013}} One study looked into developing a service module for Orion, while the other examined development of a multipurpose vehicle that could resupply space stations, remove debris, and service satellites in orbit. The studies were to be completed before the end of 2012.{{cite web|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1206/21atvfuture/ |title=ATV evolution studies look at exploration, debris removal |publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=23 June 2012}}

At the meeting of the ESA Ministerial Council in November 2012, the ESA committed to developing the service module,{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/11/uk-steps-up-esa-commit-atv-service-module-orion/ |title=UK steps up, as ESA commit to ATV Service Module on NASA's Orion |publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=8 March 2015}} and in mid-December signed an agreement with NASA to provide an ATV derived Orion service module for the maiden launch of Orion on the Space Launch System. The module is referred as European Service Module (ESM).{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

The ESA awarded Airbus Defence and Space a €390 million ($488 million) contract in November 2014 to develop and build the ESM.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-airbus-group-space-usa-idUSKCN0J11F320141117 | title=Airbus wins contract for US space capsule Orion |work=Reuters|date=18 November 2014 |access-date=18 November 2014}}

In addition to its principal role as a one-way uncrewed cargo transfer vehicle, from the onset of work on the project, the ESA had viewed the ATV as having the potential for being the starting point for a whole family of automated space vehicles. Amongst the conceived missions for ATV-derived vehicles have been orbital automated construction programmes and independent bases for experiments, as well as a potential upgraded version of the ATV that would survive reentry intact, enabling its use as a two-way cargo transfer vehicle.Warwick, Graham and Rob Coppinger. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/europe-plans-iss-cargo-return-184516/ "Europe plans ISS cargo return."] Flight International, 20 July 2004. The potential commercialisation of the ATV was also the subject of a formal study conducted by the ESA, during which the prospects of using the spacecraft as a dedicated tug for satellites, as well as the use of alternative launch systems, were examined.[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/commercial-atv-61236/ "Commercial ATV."] Flight International, 25 January 2000.

Following the decision by NASA to retire the Space Shuttle in 2011, the ESA decided to launch a further series of studies to determine the potential for evolutions and adaptations of the ATV. As a result of these studies, the cargo return version (CARV) was identified as a particularly promising candidate for further development. The goal of this variant is to provide ESA with the capability to transport scientific data and cargo from the ISS to Earth. Beyond this, CARV could be enhanced to become a crew vehicle which would be launched by an adapted Ariane 5.

; Mini Space Station: The MSS concept is an ATV evolution proposal for the construction of multiple ATVs with two docking ports, one at each end. The current version of the ATV is already prepared for a docking port at the back, with the main propulsion system arranged in a cylindrical fashion leaving room for a tunnel through the middle. This concept would allow Soyuz, Progress and other ATVs to dock to the back of the ATV, allowing a steady flow of Russian vehicles using the available docking ports whilst an ATV is docked for an average of around 6 months at a time.

; Payload Retrieval System: The PARES would have included a small ballistic capsule similar to VBK-Raduga embedded into the ATV docking interface, which would have brought back a few tens of kilograms of payload. PARES could have featured a deployable heat shield system. The European Space Agency was also proposing the system for use with the Progress spacecraft and the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV).[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pares-to-complete-study-phase-196173/ "PARES to complete study phase."] Flight International, 5 April 2005.

; Cargo Ascent and Return Vehicle: The CARV would deliver a redesigned capsule, capable of bringing back payload from orbit. It could be installed in place of the ATV pressurized cargo hold. In addition, it could be adapted to use a berth rather than a docking port at the US side of the station. Given the larger berthing ports there, it would be possible to transfer complete International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs) from the ATV to the station, which is only possible with the H-II Transfer Vehicle.

; Crew Transport Vehicle:This is another option under consideration. Similar to the CARV variant, this would replace the current Integrated Cargo Carrier with a pressurized re-entry capsule. A significant difference with the cargo-only variant would be the presence of a Crew Escape System, consisting of a number of booster rockets able to pull the crew capsule away from the launcher (Ariane 5) and/or Service Module in the event of an emergency. The CTV variant of the ATV could be able to seat 4 or 5 crew members.{{cite news|url=https://gsp.esa.int/documents/10192/43064675/C18303ExS.pdf/1638b0f2-0abb-4f7c-995d-f9d29d52d820|title=ATV Evolution — Executive Summary|access-date=15 March 2008|publisher=EADS}}{{cbignore}}

Possibilities for launching of the ATV on other launchers than the Ariane 5 have also been investigated, in particular in the frame of Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. ESA and its member states will consider approval for further ATV development in the coming years.

File:Cargo Ascent and Return Vehicle docked to the ISS.jpg|An MSS could be used as a small orbital lab

File:ATV PARES.JPG|PARES capsules would be able to hold a few kg of cargo

File:ATV CARV.JPG|CARV would be used to transport a large amount of cargo to Earth

{{main|CSTS}}

File:Automated Transfer Vehicle capsule - 3D render.jpg

Both the ESA and the manufacturing team have considered various programmes under which the ATV, or portions of the technologies composing it, would have been developed into a crewed configuration.Coppinger, Rob. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/europeans-jostle-for-cevbid-work-193655/ "Europeans jostle for CEVbid work."] Flight International, 8 February 2005.

On 14 May 2008, aerospace company EADS Astrium and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), announced that they were actively pursuing a development project with the aim of adapting the ATV into a crew transportation system.{{cite news | title = Europe could get manned spaceship |work=BBC News | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7398517.stm | date=13 May 2008 | access-date=1 January 2010}} In the envisioned configuration, the craft would be able to launch a 3-person crew beyond LEO via use of a modified version of the Ariane 5 rocket and would be more spacious than the Russian Soyuz. A mock-up of the proposed craft was publicly displayed at the 2008 International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin.{{cite news | title = Berlin unveils 'crewed spaceship' |work=BBC News | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7419793.stm | date=28 May 2008 | access-date=1 January 2010}} If the project were to have been given ESA approval, development would have proceeded in two stages:{{cite news | title = Celebrating the Accomplishment, Preparing the Future — New Challenges in Human Spaceflight and Exploration ' | publisher = ESA | url = http://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bulletin135/bul135b_dipippo.pdf }}

• The first stage would have involved the development of an Advanced Reentry Vehicle (ARV){{cite web | title = End-to-end European transportation capability: The Advanced Reentry Vehicle | publisher = ESA | url =http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMKCY4DHNF_iss_0.html|access-date=8 March 2015 }} capable of transporting up to 1,500 kg of cargo from space to earth safely (see CARV above) by 2015.{{cite web | title = 'Jules Verne' Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Information Kit | publisher = ESA | url = http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/ATV/infokit/english/Complete_Infokit_ATVreentry.pdf |access-date=8 March 2015}} This capability would be available to ESA even if further development were to be halted. It would prove useful in the ISS program as well as the proposed Mars Sample Return Mission with NASA. ARV development would make use of work done on the Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator, Crew Return Vehicle and related projects. The budget for this stage of the ATV overhaul would reportedly be €300 million.{{cite news | title = Europe Plans to Build Manned Spaceship |work=Der Spiegel | url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,553276,00.html |access-date=8 March 2015}}{{cite news | title = European manned spaceship design unveiled in Berlin | publisher = The Register | url = https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/28/esa_jules_verne_manned_ship_plan/ |date = 28 May 2008}}{{cite news | title = ESA aims for manned capsule by 2020 | work = FlightGlobal | url = http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/07/21/225944/esa-aims-for-manned-capsule-by-2020.html |date= 21 July 2008}}
• The second stage would adapt the then existing capsule to be able to transport people safely as well as upgrade the propulsion and other systems in the service module and would last 4 to 5 years at a cost of "a couple of billion [euro]" according to a senior Astrium representative.{{cite news | title = Europe Plans Manned Spaceship |work=Business Week | url = http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2008/gb20080514_021347.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080520181241/http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2008/gb20080514_021347.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 20 May 2008 |date = 14 May 2008}}{{cite web | title = Europe Aims For Re-entry Spacecraft | date = 15 October 2008 | publisher = Space.com | url = http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/081015-tw-future-launcher.html|access-date=8 March 2015}}

In November 2008, ESA ministers budgeted for a feasibility study into developing a re-entry capsule for the ATV, a requirement for developing either a cargo return capacity or a crew version of the ATV.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7749761.stm |work=BBC News | title=Europe's 10bn-euro space vision | date=26 November 2008 | access-date=31 March 2010}} On 7 July 2009, the ESA signed a €21 million study contract with EADS Astrium.{{cite web |url=http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/news2/atv-johannes-kepler-put-through-its-paces-k1e.html |title=ATV 'Johannes Kepler' put through its paces |access-date=15 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109183909/http://www.space-airbusds.com/en/news2/atv-johannes-kepler-put-through-its-paces-k1e.html |archive-date=9 January 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMJQF6CTWF_index_0.html |title=ESA Human Spaceflight and Exploration – Advanced Reentry Vehicle activities begin with contract signature |publisher=ESA |date=7 July 2009 |access-date=1 March 2011}} The ARV effort was ultimately discontinued after completing the B1 stage due to fiscal constraints resulting from the 2008 financial crisis.{{cite web|url=http://www.euronews.net/2011/05/18/the-space-truck/ |title=The Space Truck |publisher=euronews |date=18 May 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110605194331/http://www.euronews.net/2011/05/18/the-space-truck/| archive-date= 5 June 2011 | url-status= live}}

During the 2010s, Lockheed Martin put together a proposal for Commercial Resupply Services 2 that included a new {{convert|4.4|m|sp=us|adj=on}} diameter cargo transport module called Exoliner, which was based on the ATV and was to be jointly developed with Thales Alenia Space.{{cite web | last=Foust | first=Jeff | title=Lockheed Pitches Reusable Tug for Space Station Resupply | website=SpaceNews.com | date=13 March 2015 | url=http://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-pitches-reusable-tug-for-space-station-resupply/ | access-date=9 January 2017}}

{{cite news |last1=Avery|first1=Greg |title=Lockheed Martin proposes building ISS cargo ship for NASA |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/boosters_bits/2015/03/lockheed-martin-proposes-building-iss-cargo-ship.html |access-date=13 March 2015 |work=Denver Business Journal |date=12 March 2015 }}[http://aviationweek.com/space/jupiter-space-tug-could-deliver-cargo-moon "'Jupiter' Space Tug Could Deliver Cargo To The Moon."] Aviation Week, 12 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.

• {{Annotated link|Cargo spacecraft}}
• {{Annotated link|Cygnus (spacecraft)|Cygnus spacecraft}}
• {{Annotated link|SpaceX Dragon 2}}
• {{Annotated link|Dream Chaser}}
• {{Annotated link|H-II Transfer Vehicle}}
• {{Annotated link|Progress (spacecraft)|Progress spacecraft}}
• {{Annotated link|Commercial Resupply Services}}
• {{Annotated link|Comparison of space station cargo vehicles}}
• {{Annotated link|European contribution to the International Space Station}}

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