ATV-4 on its way

6 June 2013 - ESA's fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein , was launched into orbit last evening from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Europe's autonomous supply ship will perform a series of manoeuvres to dock with the International Space Station on 15 June. The Ariane 5 rocket, operated by Arianespace, lifted off at 21:52:11 GMT (23:52:11 CEST, 18:52:11 local time) and delivered ATV-4 into the planned circular parking orbit at 260 km altitude about 64 minutes later. ATV then deployed its four power-generating solar wings and antenna boom. The ship is being monitored by the ATV Control Centre, jointly operated by ESA and CNES, the French space agency, in Toulouse. It will complete the Launch and Early Orbit Phase in some six hours after launch and is due to rendezvous and dock automatically with the Station at 13:46 GMT (15:46 CEST) on 15 June. Heaviest spacecraft ever launched by Ariane.