Automated Transfer Vehicle

ATV "Albert Einstein" approaching ISS in June 2013
Image courtesy of  NASA

ATV was an expendable cargo ship that was developed by the European Space Agency specifically for the International Space Station. It had three times the capacity of the Russian Progress spacecraft, carrying fuel, water, and pressurized cargo. ATV's docked to the aft side of the Zvezda module of the space station.

At the end of its life attached to the ISS, it was filled with trash and other unneeded items from the station. After undocking, it was directed to reenter the atmosphere to burn up over the Pacific ocean.

The development cost of ATV was approximately $1.5 billion with each spacecraft costing $300 million, not including the launch cost.

"Jules Verne" reentry
Image courtesy of NASA

The final ATV was commanded to burn up in the atmosphere in February 2015. The design of the service module of the spacecraft will be re-purposed as a service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft for human missions beyond low earth orbit.

ATV had a cargo capacity of 8 metric tons:
1,500 kilograms of pressurized cargo,
Up to 840 kilograms of water,
Up to 100 kilograms of air,
Up to 4,700 kilograms of propellant for re-boosting and refueling the station.

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Five ATV's were built and launched:

Designation	Name	Launch	Docking	Deorbit
ATV-001	Jules Verne	9 March 2008	3 April 2008	29 September 2008
ATV-002	Johannes Kepler	16 February 2011	24 February 2011	21 June 2011
ATV-003	Edoardo Amaldi	23 March 2012	28 March 2012	4 October 2012
ATV-004	Albert Einstein	5 June 2013	15 June 2013	2 November 2013
ATV-005	George Lemaitre	29 July 2014	12 August 2014	15 February 2015

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