Launch Readiness Review complete

Jean-Michel Bois at ATV-CC

The final, full ‘dress rehearsal’ of the countdown and launch was held on 9 February at the Arianespace Launch Control Centre in Kourou.

The following day, 10 February, ATV successfully passed its final test, the Launch Readiness Review (LRR), held between Kourou and engineers and programme team members at ESA’s ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre) Establishment, in the Netherlands, ESA headquarters in Paris and ESA & CNES mission controllers at ATV-CC in Toulouse.

ESA’s Jean-Michel Bois, Mission Director and ESA Team Leader at ATV-CC, said: “The LRR’s goal was to check the final status of ATV before launch, including both the ground and flight segments. The conclusion of the LRR is unequivocal: we are ‘GO’ for launch.”

On behalf of ESA, Bois also thanked: “all teams working on this mission for their high-quality work undertaken in a truly effective and professional manner.”