Only two days after the successul end of the ATV-2 mission the craft was again on the podium: now at the Paris Air and Space Show at Le Bourget. Of course the vessel itself wasn’t there, but it was much talked about and – yes – admired.

ATV model

ATV model was nicely presented in the ESA Pavillion at the Paris Air Show

Alberto Novelli talking about the ATV-2

All seats were taken and people stopped when Alberto Novelli, Head of ESA’s ATV Mission Operations, talked on Thursday about the ATV-2 at Le Bourget

ATV related items were displayed in the other stands as well, but the the most charming item was ATV’s colleague, Japan’s HTV. This detailed model demonstrates one of the differences between these two cargo carriers: HTV can take some cargo in its non-pressurised compartment.

HTV model at the Le Bourget Air Show

HTV model at the Paris Air Show