Two successful rehearsals before the big moment were definitely a sign that Jules Verne’s encounter with the International Space Station would go as smoothly as planned, and that was exactly the case on Thursday April 3rd, when the Automated Transfer Vehicle performed an automated docking with the ISS. The operation was completed at 16:52 CEST (14:52 GMT).

Considering the high demands and risks for an automated docking, the European success in this respect is notable. It is a first for Europe and what a beginning this was: with the help of the ATV’s onboard computers, closely monitored by ESA, CNES and Astrium agencies at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse and the ISS crew inside the Zvezda module, the docking mission was under control at all times.

The ATV, which weights around 19 tons, made a four-hour approach journey to the International Space Station and was maneuvered from a holding position 39 km behind the 275-ton space outpost, ESA reported. The ATV’s approach was halted from time to time at certain reference points for checks. With the help of its GPS system, the ATV automatically established its position, while at closer range with the ISS, it used videometers pointed at laser retroreflectors on the ISS for positioning (distance and orientation).

“The docking of the ATV is a new and spectacular step in the demonstration of European capabilities on the international scene of space exploration,” said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s Director General. “I knew it would be extraordinary,” he added, “but to succeed like that on the first try … I think it’s an incredible technical feat.”

On the first mission of its kind, the Jules Verne ATV carries a 4.6-tonne payload, among which 1,150 kg of dry cargo, 856 kg of propellant for the Russian Zvezda module, 270 kg of drinking water and 21 kg of oxygen. The plan for future similar missions is to almost double this capacity. Jules Verne will spend four months docked to the International Space Station, and on its way back, it is set to carry waste from the ISS. Upon entering the atmosphere, the ATV is scheduled to burn up above the Southern Pacific Ocean, in a controlled manner.