KOUROU, Frans-Guyana (ANP) – een onbemande Ariane-raket vertrok vroeg vrijdag van Frans-Guyana in de eerste missie van Europa naar het ruimtestation leveren internationale sinds het einde van de Amerikaanse Shuttleprogramma vorig jaar, zei dat ambtenaren.

gemodificeerde Ariane-raket vertrok om de 0434 GMT vanuit het centrum van release of the European Space Agency in Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeast of South America coast, carrying more than six tons of cargo.

U.S. space shuttles were the main providers of cargo to the international space station, but a final mission 12 days of Atlantis in July 2011 ship put an end to the program that already fulfilled 30 years.

fleet of automated transfer (VTA) in Europe is now key to carry supplies to the international space station.

more than one hour after the launch, Edoardo Amaldi automated transfer vehicle – named in honor to a physicist and a pioneer of space flight Italian 20th century – broke away from the rocket Ariane. is scheduled to dock to the space station on March 28.

built by an industrial consortium led by EADS ASTRIUM, a division of EADS European industrial giant, the unmanned vehicle is designed for fuel delivery, food, clothing and oxygen to the crew of the international space station, as well as spare parts.

is the third VTA that Europe has been provided for the programme of the station space international. the first docked with the station at the beginning of 2008, and the second, at the beginning of the year past.

the VTA will be docked to the space station until August as astronauts remove its cargo and fill it with rubbish from the station.

then it will be sent back to Earth and burn to re-enter in the atmosphere. any remaining debris would fall in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.

aircraft Russia Progress are less than half the capacity of charge than the European VTA.

< p> Het nieuwe Amerikaanse bedrijf SpaceX, een idee van de mede-oprichter van PayPal Elon muskus, heeft haar eerste aanbod missie naar het international space station aan boord van het ruimteschip Dragon gepland tegen het einde van April.

het ISS, die voltooid in 90 procent is, is een project van vijftien landen door ongeveer 150.000 miljoen dollars.

(Alexander duizenden extra verslag. Gepubliceerd in het Spaans door Patricio Abusleme)