ATV-1 Jules Verne

The first European Automated Transfer Vehicle mission combined ISS resupply with an extensive demonstration of autonomous rendezvous and safety procedures. Launched aboard Ariane 5 on 9 March 2008, Jules Verne tested retreat, escape, and collision-avoidance functions before docking with the station on 3 April. It subsequently transferred supplies, supported station orbit maintenance, and received waste for disposal. A joint ESA–CNES team at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse directed operations. The mission ended with controlled atmospheric reentry over the Pacific on 29 September 2008, establishing the operational basis for four subsequent ATV flights.