ATV starts journey to Kourou - story in pictures


MN Toucan
 
French cargo ship MN Toucan set sail for Kourou at around 15:30 CEST on Tuesday 17 July 2007
 
18 July 2007
 
With around 400 tonnes of spacecraft and equipment for the Automated Transfer Vehicle on board, MN Toucan set sail for Kourou from Rotterdam harbour yesterday afternoon at around 15:30 CEST. The vessel is expected to arrive at Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana, in eleven days time.
 
The first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), named Jules Verne, left ESA's research and technology centre, ESTEC, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, late last Friday. The ISS re-supply cargo spacecraft was split into three sections ahead of transportation.

Loaded on trucks, the spacecraft sections were transported by road to a nearby harbour. From there, the large white transportation containers were carried by canal barge to Rotterdam harbour.

Once in Rotterdam, the three containers were loaded onboard MN Toucan, a French cargo ship which is normally used by Arianespace to transport Ariane rocket components on the same route across the Atlantic Ocean.
 
 
Containers loaded onto trucks
 
ATV transportation containers are loaded onto trucks outside the ESTEC Test Centre
 
 
 
Traffic signs had to be removed
 
Negotiating the streets around ESTEC - the width of the cargo requires traffic signs to be removed to allow the trucks to pass
 
 
 
Containers are loaded onto canal barges
 
After arriving at Katwijk harbour, the spacecraft sections are loaded onto two canal barges
 
 
 
Canal barge passes through Leiden
 
Canal barge carrying ATV's Integrated Cargo Carrier passes through Leiden
 
 
 
Unloading containers at Rotterdam harbour
 
Unloading the containers from the canal barge at Rotterdam harbour
 
 
 
Containers placed on trucks
 
The containers are placed on the trucks which have also arrived at Rotterdam harbour
 
 
 
Trucks are reversed onto ship
 
The trucks are reversed onto the cargo ship MN Toucan
 
 
 
Trucks are parked and secured inside MN Toucan
 
The trucks are parked up and secured ahead of the Atlantic crossing to Kourou
 
 
 

Related articles

 •  ATV starts journey to Kourou (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMCS6HYX3F_index_0.html)
 •  Media bid farewell to Jules Verne ATV (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM2DN9OY2F_index_0.html)
 •  Assessment of ESA’s ATV mission readiness results in a new launch window (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM8MIXXV2F_index_0.html)
 •  Jules Verne goes hot and cold (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMKL4QJNVE_index_0.html)
 •  Jules Verne passes acoustic test (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMTHPVT0PE_index_0.html)

Related links

 •  International Space Station (http://www.esa.int/esaHS/iss.html)
 •  Europe's Spaceport (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Europe_s_Spaceport/index.html)
 •  Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/index.html)