Next space truck honours Kepler

[Rick]

Europe's next space freighter will be called Johannes Kepler in honour of the great 17th Century German scientist.

The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is currently being assembled in Bremen ready for its 2010 mission to resupply the International Space Station.

European Space Agency delegates agreed the name at a meeting on Wednesday.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7898227.stm

[Rick]

"It's clear from space history that often it was not the prototype that experienced the problems; it was the mission that came later. That's why specific attention has to be paid to what we do now."

Nico Dettmann is in charge of producing the European Space Agency's (Esa) next space freighter.

He knows the near-flawless maiden voyage of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) last year does not mean the second flight is guaranteed to turn out the same way. Attention to detail is everything.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8141256.stm

[Rick]

I've got rather used to the map below which Esa officials and industrial contractors like to show in their Powerpoints when talking about the ATV. It details the workshare across Europe; and Britain, as you can see, has been completely erased from the map.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jonathanamos/2009/07/big-bold-but-not-british.shtml