Jules Verne ATV. Image taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as the European Space Agency's (ESA) automated transfer vehicle (ATV), Jules V

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Jules Verne ATV. Image taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as the European Space Agency's (ESA) automated transfer vehicle (ATV), Jules Verne approaches it during a rendezvous test. ATVs are designed to carry experiments, fuel and supplies to the ISS. Whilst attached, the ATV provides extra space for the crew and takes on solid and liquid waste from the station. The ATV's thrusters are used to periodically boost the ISS orbit and it can also be used for emergency manoeuvres. After six months, the ATV is undocked from the ISS and burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Image taken on 31 March 2008.

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Size: 5173px × 3415px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 21st, 31, 2008, agency, atv, automated, century, close-, detail, equipment, esa, european, international, iss, jules, logistics, machine, manned, march, practice, rendezvous, solar, space, spacecraft, spaceflight, station, supply, system, technological, technology, test, transfer, vehicle, verne