'Jules Verne' pictured over UK

Europe's new "Jules Verne" space freighter is pictured over the UK.

It is seen here (above left) attached to the rear of the Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS) just hours after completing a successful docking on Thursday.

The scene was captured by John Locker, a satellite consultant and one of a committed band of enthusiasts who take pictures of overflying spacecraft.

"The weather was kind to me and opened a gap in the clouds in just the right place," he told BBC News.

"'JV' is bright and looking good just a few hours after docking. This could well be the first ground-based image of it, post docking."

It is not easy to get a shot like this. The ISS and Jules Verne are racing overhead at some 27,000km/h and at an altitude of 340km.

JULES VERNE - THE FIRSTS

• The ATV is the first completely automated rendezvous and docking ship to go to the ISS
• The ATV is the largest and most powerful space tug going to the ISS over its mission life
• It provides the largest refuelling and waste elimination capability for the space station
• It is the only vehicle on the current timeline able to de-orbit the ISS when it is retired

Mission Guide: Jules Verne

The complex covers the sky - travelling from horizon to horizon - in about three or four minutes; but John has become adept at keeping the target in line with his telescope-camera set-up.

Jules Verne - or the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), to give it its generic name - has generated considerable interest in the UK. This is despite Britain having no programmatic investment in the remarkable new spacecraft.

Although the UK is a leading member of the European Space Agency (Esa), it chooses not to participate in human spaceflight (a voluntary programme of the 17-member-state organisation) and gives no money to endeavours connected with the space station and astronauts.

This means that under the geo-return rules operated by Esa, no British companies could be selected to carry out industrial work on Jules Verne.

The French and German sections of EADS Astrium led the development of the spacecraft with companies sited in eight other European states. Some work was subcontracted to US and Russian firms; and the detectors in Jules Verne's videometer optical sensor system used in the final docking were made by e2v in Chelmsford, in eastern England.

All that said, the UK did have one very key role - the man put in charge of running the ATV project at Esa is a Brit, John Ellwood.

The astronauts on the space station entered the ATV on Friday to start a "scrubber" to clean the air inside. It is expected Commander Peggy Whitson and her crew will be able to move around freely inside Jules Verne on Saturday.

It has been a momentous start to the year for Esa, with its Columbus science lab going up to the station in February and now Jules Verne joining the complex.

It is Japan which will take the limelight next. Its lead contribution - the Kibo science lab - launches in May. The storage facility for this lab is already in place, lofted by last month's shuttle flight and placed next to Columbus at the front of the platform.

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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Credit: Ciprian Sufitchi (N2YO.com)

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RELATED INTERNET LINKS
John Locker
ATV Blog (Esa)
Esa: Automated Transfer Vehicle
EADS Astrium
Thales Alenia Space
Arianespace
e2v
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