Alenia Spazio announced a collaboration agreement with Russia's RSC-Energia space company to work on the European _Space Agency's Automatic Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for the International Space Station (ISS).
Energia will supply docking hardware and related avionics systems for the ATV to Alenia, which is a major contractor to Aerospatiale Matra Lanceurs.Alenia's main responsibility for ATV work is in the development and construction of the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) and the craft's thermal control systems.
The ICC comprises fuel tanks and a pressurised payload module, equipped with an environmental control system for the ISS crew.
The ATVs will be launched aboard Ariane 5 boosters and will dock automatically to the ISS, delivering cargo and fuel. It will then undock, fire its retro rockets, and make a destructive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Source: Flight Daily News
