ESA's Jules Verne spacecraft ready for liftoff

ESA's Jules Verne spacecraft ready for liftoff

news.xinhuanet.com

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhuanet) -- A European cargo ship the size of a double-decker bus is ready for its first flight to haul fresh supplies toward the international space station.

Jules Verne, a massive unmanned cargo ship built for the European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch Sunday, March 9 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. A modified European Ariane 5 rocket will loft the nearly 21-ton Jules Verne into orbit from its equatorial launch site on the northern coast of South America.

"It's the biggest spacecraft we've built in Europe and by far the most complicated," said John Ellwood, ATV mission manager for the ESA.

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This is the first off the line and into service, and at 32 feet long 14.7 feet in diameter and weighing 21 tons it is no midget.

Designed to carry 10 tons of payload "Jules Verne" will be carrying propellant and equipment for the 3 man crew.

"Jules Verne is due to spend about a week chasing the space station after launch, then park about 1,243 miles (2,000 kilometers) from the station to await the departure of NASA's shuttle Endeavour before proceeding with rendezvous demonstrations"



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[edit on 7-3-2008 by sherpa]

Jules Verne launches successfully.





[edit on 11-3-2008 by sherpa]