ATV5 (Georges Lemaître) seen during integration at Astrium, Bremen, 8 August 2013. Photo: ESA

[Via Satellite 10-08-13] The fifth and final European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) built by Astrium, called “Georges Lemaître,” has left the company’s Bremen site and is on its way to the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Astrium was commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and also produce the ATV and is also responsible for carrying out all the services related to the operation of the European sections of the International Space Station (ISS) under the ESA Exploitation Agreement. This includes mission preparation and execution, astronaut training, the on-going development of experiments and research facilities, the maintenance and logistics for all European ISS components and the ground stations, along with overseeing the communication system and data transfer.

“The technology, as well as the experience that Astrium has gained in the course of the development and production of the ATV, form an outstanding basis for the future, as our next challenge is to develop the European Service Module on behalf of ESA for the U.S. Orion capsule,” said Alain Charmeau, CEO of Astrium Space Transportation. “The spacecraft, with its crew of four or more astronauts, will be powered and supplied by an MPCV-ESM service module developed from the ATV. The decision by NASA to entrust a European manufacturer with such a vital element in the Orion program clearly shows their confidence in the transatlantic partnership and in the capabilities of their European partners.”