Photos: Europe's ATV Robotic Space Cargo Ships

ATV Johannes Kepler during launch preps

The European Space Agency's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler during transfer from S5C to S5A, 19 November 2010, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou.

ESA's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler Launches Toward ISS

ESA’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle, launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou in February 2011, in French Guiana, at 22:50:55 CET by an Ariane 5 to deliver critical supplies and reboost the International Space Station. It is due to dock on Feb. 24.

Out of the Blue and Into the Black

European Space Agency Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station, snapped this picture of the Automated Transfer Vehicle 2 launching from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011.

Kepler ATV Docks with ISS

Kepler ATV Docks with ISS in this artist's interpretation.

ATV-2 Johannes Kepler Docks at Space Station

The European Space Agency's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler docks at the International Space Station on Feb. 24, 2011 after an 8-day flight.

4 Spaceships, 1 Photo

This stunning photo taken by Endeavour shuttle astronaut Greg Chamitoff shows four different spaceships linked together in orbit. At the far left is Endeavour, while Russia's Soyuz capsule "Yuri Gagarin" is perched at a rooftop docking port on the International Space Station. The X-shaped solar arrays of Europe's unmanned ATV-2 Johannes Kepler spacecraft round out the fleet at a far right docking port.

Space Station's Russian Side

In this spacewalk photo by Endeavour shuttle astronaut Mike Fincke, Russia's Soyuz capsule "Yuri Gagarin" dominates the view on a rooftop docking port at the International Space Station during a May 27, 2011 spacewalk. The station's Russian segment, as well as the European ATV-2 Johannes Kepler cargo ship (identifiable by its X-like solar wings) are also visible. Fincke took the photo during the mission's fourth and last spacewalk.

ATV-2 Johannes Kepler Re-entry

Illustration of the European ATV-2 reentry and breakup because of the atmospheric forces.

ATV-2 Reentry Breakup Recorder

The Reentry Breakup Recorder on the European ATV-2 cargo spacecraft.

Europe Names Third Space Cargo Ship After Italian Space Pioneer

The European Space Agency (ESA) has named its next unmanned space cargo ship the Edoardo Amaldi, after the Italian space pioneer known for contributing to advances in experimental physics and the understanding of gravitational waves.