KOUROU, French Guiana - An Ariane 5 has carried the fifth European ATV, known as Georges Lemaitre, into orbit on its way to the International Space Station (ISS). At 8:47 p.m. local time (7:47 p.m. EDT) on July 29, the Ariane 5 lifted off from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. With a total weight of almost 20.3 metric tons, ATV-5 has surpassed its four predecessors by being the heaviest payload ever to be launched into orbit by an Ariane launch vehicle. It is also carry the largest payload to the ISS since the retirement of the U.S. space shuttle fleet in 2011.
ATV-5 Georges Lemaitre will supply the Space Station with experimental equipment, spare parts, food, air and water. In addition to the 2.7 metric tons of cargo inside the pressurized module, the ATV-5 will also transport 2.1 metric tons of fuel, which will be used to maintain the Space Station in orbit, 860 kg of fuel to replenish the propulsion system of the Russian Service Module, plus 850 kg of water and 100 kg of oxygen and air. The cargo transfer operations will be carried out by the Space Station crew members and they will be monitored in real time from the ATV Control Center with support provided by ALTEC Control Center in Turin, Italy by a joint team of Thales Alenia Space and ALTEC technicians.
With the completion of the ATV-5 mission in 2014, production of the ATV now complete. The ATV is ESA's primary contribution to the ISS. For this reason, it was once expected that ATV production would continue throughout the life of the ISS. However, European leaders are firm in their desire to contribute to the space station in other ways.
ESA will utilize their experience with the ATV program to develop new technology. In addition using the ATV to test uncooperative docking technology, ESA will contribute components to NASA's Orion spacecraft based on ATV components. The contribution to the Orion program will also cover ESA's financial obligation to the ISS.
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