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The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is one of the major European contributions to the International Space Station Alpha (ISSA). The ATV will be launched with ARIANE 5 and will be used for servicing of ISSA with pressurized and unpressurized cargo as well as for ISSA refuelling and reboost. The ATV consists of a Core Module and a Cargo Module. The Core Module includes all major subsystems including the propellant tanks required for the automated flight to ISSA. Eight 400 N thrusters are accommodated on the bottom platform for orbit transfer and reboost of ISSA. Twenty 200 N thrusters, accommodated on the cylindrical shell of the core module, are provided for attitude control. The thermal control of the ATV consists of a passive subsystem supported by an electrical heater system. The waste heat of most of the avionics equipment is collected and transferred via conduction through the box baseplate to the avionics platform and further on to the cylindrical shell.

Latest developments of the manned European space transportation system programs have shifted emphasis from the winged vehicles (HERMES) towards unwinged, capsule type vehicles like the Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV) or the Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV). While the work on the CTV is still in an early stage, a Phase A study was performed on the ACRV in late 1992 to 1993, detailing already the major subsystem layouts, among these the Environmental Control and Life Support System and Crew Systems such as crew seats, transport couches for injured crew members or displays and controls. Due to the particular set of requirements on this rescue vehicle, it quickly became evident that optimal layouts of these crew aspect subsystems are not necessarily easily transferable from rather well known designs of e.g. a space station.