Goodbye Jules Verne......first re-entry photos

[LunaSea]

http://webservices.esa.int/blog/blog/1/

[Indenturedebtor]

1. Pretty :D What is the ATV? n/t

[LunaSea]

2. ESAs Automated Tranfer Vehicle

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEME556EJLF_index_0.html

he ATV has proved what a key ISS logistics vehicle it is. Following its 9 March launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the ATV delivered 6 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station, to which it remained docked for five months. This included ISS reboost and refuelling propellants, water, oxygen and 1.3 tonnes of dry cargo including food, clothing, spares and other items. During its mission, the ATV displayed the full range of its capabilities, including automatic rendezvous & docking, four ISS reboosts to a higher orbital altitude to offset atmospheric drag, ISS attitude control, performing a collision-avoidance manoeuvre when fragments of an old satellite came within the Station’s vicinity, and on its final journey offloading 2½ tonnes of waste.

[Indenturedebtor]

3. Cool thank you! With SpaceX's successful launch perhaps they'll use these

I don't think they're building for crew presently, but as I understand it NASA is looking at hiring them to make deliveries to the station.

[LunaSea]

4. oddly enough, yes.

Nasa is depending on SOMEBODY to come through with a resupply and boost capability to get through the "gap" between shuttle retirement and Orion construction.
With Russian relations being iffy at present, and little development money to be found, my money is on extending shuttle a bit longer.
I suspect Musk will need to blow up a couple more rockets before ironing out all the kinks in his system and establishing some reliability.