spacetoday.net: Ariane launches ATV

Posted: Thu, Feb 17, 2011, 8:08 AM ET (1308 GMT)
Ariane 5 launch of ATV-2 (Arianespace)

After a one day delay, an Ariane 5 successfully launched a European cargo spacecraft to the ISS on Wednesday. The Ariane 5 ES lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:50 pm EST (2150 GMT) Wednesday and placed the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) 2, also known as Johannes Kepler, into orbit. The launch had been scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed by a measurement anomaly with a propellant tank on the rocket's core stage. The ATV-2, carrying over seven metric tons of payload for the station, is scheduled to dock with the ISS on February 24. The one-day delay in the ATV launch could postpone the launch of the STS-133 shuttle mission, currently scheduled for the 24th; a decision on the launch date is scheduled for Friday.