The ATV’s two major elements are shown side-by-side in the S5C high-bay.  In the foreground is the Propulsion Module, with the Integrated Cargo Carrier visible behind it.  When assembled, the ATV will be one of the largest unmanned spacecraft ever built, and the heaviest payload by far to be orbited by Ariane 5.  Its liftoff is scheduled for early 2008 on an Ariane 5 ES version of Arianespace’s workhorse launcher.

This underside view details the Propulsion Module’s four main engines, which are rated at a thrust of 490 Newtons each. The engines operate on six metric tons of MMH fuel and MON oxidizer, and will power the ATV to its rendezvous with the International Space Station. Once the ATV is docked, these engines will be able to perform attitude control and debris avoidance maneuvers for the orbital space station, and boost its orbit to overcome the effects of atmospheric drag. (Also visible in the photograph is a cone-shaped antenna for the Russian KURS rendezvous/docking system)

Team members from ATV industrial prime contractor EADS Astrium hoist the Propulsion Module inside the S5C high-bay clean room. Visible on the ATV’s Propulsion Module vertical side panels are the mounting holes for two of the four ATV solar arrays, which will have a total span of 22.3 meters when deployed on orbit. During launch, the panels will be folded to allow the ATV’s integration under Ariane 5’s payload fairing.

The Separation and Distancing Module is prepared for its integration with the ATV’s Propulsion Module. This overhead view underscores the large size of ATV components, and illustrates the 700-sq-meter S5C high bay’s ability to easily accommodate such massive payloads in its clean room. The S5C is one of three interconnected clean high bays within the Spaceport’s S5 facility, which enables Arianespace to handle multiple launch campaigns by preparing and fueling several spacecraft in parallel.

The ATV’s Propulsion Module is positioned for installation atop the Separation and Distancing Module, which is partly visible inside the integration fixture. In its final configuration, the ATV “stack” will be completed with the Integrated Cargo Carrier, which is to be placed atop the Propulsion Module. At the end of the Ariane 5 ES’ launch sequence, ATV will be released from the Separation and Distancing Module, whose large black lower part remains attached to the Ariane 5’s upper stage and vehicle equipment bay (which are subsequently deorbited).