On Tuesday 9 April the European Space Agency is staging the first
presentation of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), Europe’s new
multifunctional spacecraft to supply the International Space Station.
This will be a unique opportunity to see the ATV in fully stacked
configuration before its launch, currently scheduled for the autumn of
2004. The presentation to the media will be at ESA’s Research and
Technology Centre, ESTEC, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

The International Space Station requires regular deliveries of equipment
for scientific and commercial utilisation, fuel to raise its altitude,
spare parts, and food, air and water for its permanent crew. From the
first operational flight of the ATV in autumn 2004, Europe’s most
challenging spacecraft will play a vital role in station servicing.

Depending on the operational lifetime of the Space Station, ESA will build
at least 8 ATVs. The project involves 30 companies from ten European
countries under the prime contractorship of EADS Launch Vehicles (France),
which is also overseeing 8 companies from Russia and the United States
participating in development of the spacecraft.

Media representatives are invited to attend the ATV presentation, the
programme for which is as follows:

Tuesday, 9 April 2002

Venue: ESA/ ESTEC, Erasmus User Information Centre for the International
Space Station – Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands

09:30 hrs: Arrival/registration

10:00 hrs: Welcome and overview of the European contributions to the
International Space Station (Jorg Feustel-Buechl, ESA Director of Manned
Spaceflight and Microgravity)

10:30 hrs: The Automated Transfer Vehicle – overview, status, industrial
aspects of the ATV project (Alan Thirkettle, ESA Head of Manned
Spaceflight Programme Department, Robert Lainè, ESA Head of ATV Projects
Division, Jean-Yves Heloret, EADS Launch Vehicles ATV Programme Manager)

11:15 hrs: An ATV user’s view (Jean-Franáois Clervoy, ESA astronaut)

11:30 hrs: Question and answer session

12:00 hrs: Transfer to the Test Centre

12:15 hrs: Visit to the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) in the Large
European Acoustic Facility (LEAF). Opportunities for location interviews,
filming, photos

13:00 hrs : Transfer to Erasmus building

13:15 hrs : Buffet lunch in the high bay with senior ESA staff and
informal visits to full-scale models of Space Station elements

14:45 hrs: Time for individual interviews and additional filming

15:15 hrs: Option: Visit to the ESA Test Centre with viewing of the flight
units of the ESA scientific satellites Integral and Rosetta (opportunities
for interviews with senior project staff)

16:30 hrs: End of event

Media representatives wishing to attend are kindly invited to complete the
attached accreditation form and fax it to:

ESA/ESTEC Communication Office

Noordwijk, the Netherlands

Fax + 31 71 565 5728

For further information:

Heidi Graf, Head of Corporate Communication Office ESA/ESTEC

Tel. + 31 71 565 3006

Fax. + 31 71 565 5728

More on ESA at http://www.esa.int 

First presentation of the Automated Transfer Vehicle
ESA/ESTEC - Noordwijk (the Netherlands)
Tuesday 9 April 2002-03-22


Name : ______________________First name: ___________________________

Media : ____________________________________________________________

Address :___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________


Tel. : __________________________   Fax: ___________________________

Mobile : ________________________   e-mail : _______________________




(  )	I will participate

(  )	I will not participate

Please fax this form back to :

ESA/ESTEC Communication Office

Fax : +31.71.565.5728