ATV Albert Einstein ready to be moved to the fuelling room at Europe’s Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana. The spacecraft is directed to the next cleanroom by hand.
Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV) are multi-function unmanned ferries sent into orbit by the European Ariane 5 launcher. Each spacecraft can deliver up to 7 tonnes of cargo to the International Space Station including supplies and equipment, water, air, nitrogen, oxygen and fuel.