Thales Alenia Space has contributed to the development and manufacturing of the European Space Agency’s ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle), for the prime contractor Astrium Space Transportation. On March 9th, the ATV was launched from Kourou, French Guiana, lofted by a special version of the Ariane 5 launcher. The vehicle is delivering experiments, equipment and spare parts, and essentials such as food, air and water to the ISS’ permanent crew. Additional duties of the ATV include use as a propulsion module for the orbiting structure, and the engines will be used to reposition the ISS several times along its mission. Jules Verne, the automated vehicle, will execute an unmanned flight phase to reach the International Space Station (ISS) and will automatically dock with the Russian service module Zvezda in early April. After this maneuver, Jules Verne remains in orbit for six months before re-entering and burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Thales Alenia Space’s role in the production of the ATV involves the design and construction of the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), the vehicle passive thermal protection control, the power control unit, the tests systems as well as the overall ATV’s Telemetry Tracking and Control (TTC) communication equipments. Thales Alenia Space also participated in the assembly and tests of the system. In addition, Thales produced the habitable module. This is a pressurized cylinder approximately 4.6 metres in diameter and 4 metres long, weighing 4 tons, with an integrated docking system to the ISS on one side, and the refuelling system on the other. These two elements, adopted from currently operational Russian vehicles Progress and Soyuz, have been supplied by RSC-Energia—Cannes, France
