ATV Albert Einstein, representing the largest European cargo sent into space was successfully launched to ISS

The Albert Einstein ATV, or Automated Transfer Vehicle 004 (ATV-004), is a European unmanned cargo resupply spacecraft, named after the German-born physicist Albert Einstein.The purpose of the spacecraft is to supply the International Space Station (ISS) with propellant, water, air, and dry cargo. It is the fourth and penultimate ATV to be built, following the Edoardo Amaldi, which was launched in March 2012. Albert Einstein's components were constructed in Turin, Italy,Germany, and underwent final assembly and testing in Bremen in 2012.The spacecraft left Bremen for Kourou on 31 August 2012 to begin launch preparations^.
Albert Einstein was launched on an Ariane 5ES rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana at 21:52:11 GMT (23:52:11 CEST, 18:52:11 local time) on 5 June 2013.The launch was conducted by Arianespace on behalf of the European Space Agency. The Albert Einstein is currently scheduled to dock with the ISS at 13:46 GMT (15:46 CEST) on 15 June 2013.
At the time of its launch, Albert Einstein was the heaviest spacecraft ever lifted into orbit by an Ariane rocket, with a total mass of 20,190 kilograms (44,500 lb).The total cost of the Albert Einstein mission will be approximately 450 million euros.


The fourth type cargo spacecraft, automated European ATV Albert Einstein, was launched successfully to the International Space Station (ISS) on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, using an Ariane 5 rocket from a base in French Guyana.
The information was confirmed by Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) after ATV separation of the upper floor of the rocket about an hour after takeoff.
Once stretched out his huge solar panels, ATV Albert Einstein now fly autonomously, with more than 7 kilometers per second, on a circular orbit at an altitude of 260 kilometers and will connect with the ISS on 15 June.
ATV, which has a length of 10 meters and a weight of 20.2 tonnes, the largest cargo ever sent into space by ESA, took off from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana on Wednesday evening at 21.52 GMT .
Bigger than a bus large space freighter carrying 6.6 tons of supplies (food, water, fuel and various materials) for the six astronauts aboard the ISS, which is inhabited continuously since 2000, at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers.
The current occupants of the ISS are Russia Pavel Vinogradov, Alexander Misurkin and Fyodor Yurchikhin Americans Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg and Italian Luca Parmitano.
Continually monitored by ground specialist teams from ESA and CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), ATV Albert Einstein, built by Astrium, will connect to the ISS on June 15. The last 250 meters before connecting cargo will be guided by an automated system. Despite its size and weight, the ATV can be handled easily and automatically connect to the Russian Zvezda module, in three hours and a half to within 6 inches.
ATV will later become part of the ISS and the crew will be able to download supplies Received: 860 liters, 565 liters of water and 100 cubic feet of oxygen, as well as 2.6 tons of various materials, packages and letters families sent astronauts.
With over 1,400 items, it is the largest ever assortment sent ISS.
During its mission - detachment is scheduled to take place on October 11 - ATV Albert Einstein will be an additional module for cosmonauts aboard the ISS.
In addition to its function of supply ATV acts as "space tug" to regularly raise ISS orbit that would otherwise end up falling on Earth.
At the end of its mission, the cargo will be filled with all hazardous waste generated on board the station. He will come off the ISS and will plunge into Earth's atmosphere where it will burn everything carries.
ATVs regularly replenishes ISS since 2008: Jules Verne in 2008, Johannes Kepler in 2010, Edoardo Amaldi 2012. The launch of the fifth vehicle, which is also the last, Georges Lemaître, is scheduled for mid-2014.
After the withdrawal of the U.S. shuttle in 2011, NASA depends exclusively on Russian Soyuz capsules - with three seats - to send their astonauţii on the ISS and Russia paid the sum of 63 million dollars for a place on board these vehicles .
Regarding supply missions, ISS depends on automated vehicles Russian Progress cargo type, European (ATV) and Japanese (HTV), which are designed to be used once and destroy themselves burning on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, at the end of the mission.
ISS is a space project worth 100 billion dollars, funded primarily by the United States and the achievement of which involved 16 countries. The station is permanently occupied in November 2000, the joint crews.
ISS is in orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers, making a complete revolution around the Earth every 90 minutes, average speed sailing 28,000 miles / hour. Weighing over 408 tons, ISS offers a living space equivalent of a Boeing 747.