Ariane 5 ES v200 launcher with ATV Johannes Kepler on board seen today during transfer to ZL-3 (launch pad 3) at Kourou.

Ariane 5 ES v200 launcher during transfer to ZL-3

Ariane 5 ES v200 launcher during transfer to ZL-3

Credit: ESA/S. Corvaja, 2011

Ariane 5 ES launcher v200 photographed on 14 February 2011 during transfer from the Final Assembly Building (BAF) to the Launch Zone (ZL-3), at Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA-3), Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s Spaceport. Ariane was mated in the BAF with its payload, ATV Johannes Kepler, and now is ready for fuelling and final launch preparation.

ESA’s latest Automated Transfer Vehicle will be launched to the International Space Station on Tuesday, 15 February, at 22:13:27 GMT from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The unmanned vessel will deliver essential supplies and reboost the Station during its mission lasting three and half months.