Artist's concept of ATV in orbit. Photo: ESA

Alenia Spazio, Finmeccanica, has signed an agreement of industrial collaboration with RSC-Energia under which the supply and docking systems (the latter in a barter agreement between ESA and Rosavia Kosmos), together with their related control avionics, for the International Space Station's ATV logistics vehicle will be made in Russia.

ESA's ATV will be launched by Ariane 5 to supply the International Space Station. It will dock to the Station automatically and carry out the maneuver to raise its orbit. After the mission, it is destroyed on re-entry into the atmosphere.

Alenia Spazio is one of the main contractors in the ATV programme -- led by Aerospatiale-Matra Lanceurs of France -- with responsibility for the development and construction of the Integrated Cargo Carrier and the thermal control of the entire vehicle. The Integrated Cargo Carrier system is made up of the fuel tanks and a pressurised payload module. It is equipped with an environmental control system so that the astronauts can load and unload cargo on orbit.

Alenia Spazio is the major European contractor for the International Space Station. On behalf of the Italian and European space agencies (ASI and ESA), the company is building over 50 percent of the pressurized, and therefore habitable, elements. The overall pressurised volume of the Space Station, 1,300 m3, is equivalent to two jumbo jets.

RSC-Energia is the Russian company that was responsible for the construction of a fundamental component of the International Space Station -- the Zvezda manned and service module successfully launched July 12.