Europe's second space truck to haul cargo to the
International Space Station has been christened the "Johannes Kepler," in honor
of the German astronomer and mathematician.
The moniker, announced Thursday by the European Space
Agency's (ESA), continues a naming tradition begun with Europe's
first space freighter, which launched to the space station in March 2008.
That ship boasted the name of famed 19th century science fiction writer Jules
Verne.
"We are proud that Europe's second [Automated
Transfer Vehicle] will carry the name of Johannes Kepler," said Simonetta
Di Pippo, ESA's Director of Human Spaceflight. "A world-renowned European
scientist, his name reflects how Europe's role in human spaceflight and
exploration is rooted in a long tradition of science and technological
progress."
The real Johannes Kepler lived between 1571 and 1630 and is
best known as the first to correctly explain planetary motion, which he
described in a series of three laws. His cargo ship namesake is Europe's second
Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).
Each of ESA's unmanned ATV space freighters are the size
of a London double-decker bus and can haul almost eight tons of cargo, or three
times the carrying capacity of the Russian automated Progress spacecraft that
also service the space station.
The ATV Johannes Kepler is currently under construction
at EADS Astrium in Bremen, Germany, for a planned launch next year. Its naming
represents a tip of the hat to 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, and
also marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of one of Kepler's most
influential works, "Astronomia Nova."
On its inaugural flight, the Jules Verne cargo ship delivered
over six and a half tons of supplies to the space station, including food,
clothing, propellants, water and oxygen. It also contributed to regular
reboosts of the orbital complex and even served as a temporary astronaut
washroom. Verne performed a final service upon
departure by removing just under three tons of accumulated waste.
The space truck successfully ended its six-month mission
with a fiery
death dive into Earth's atmosphere to be disposed of as it burned up over
the Pacific Ocean. NASA chase planes hired by ESA managed to capture the spacecraft's
re-entry on camera.
ESA has considered the possibility of creating a reusable
spacecraft that could bring hardware and astronauts back down to Earth. Di
Pippo even suggested converting ATV from a one-way asset into
a return vehicle. But for now, Europe continues to build on the initial
success of its current program.
The ATV Johannes Kepler is slated to launch toward the
space station in mid-2010, ESA officials said.
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