Yesterday at 04:03 GMT, Europe launched its biggest spacecraft in history. The ship is an Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV, and it should be able to transport about 7.6 tonnes of supplies to the International Space Station or ISS. The ATV was launched with the help of an Ariane 5 rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guyana.

The ATV can attach itself to the ISS without the intervention of the astronauts. The ship is destined to prove that Europe possesses a technology competitive with the best space voyager nations.

Although it doesn’t have an official name, it was nicknamed “Jules Verne” and one thing is for certain - it’s the heaviest payload that was ever put into orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket therefore some reinforcements were added as safety measures.

Jules Verne will have to wander in space until the 3rd of April because that’s when the Space Shuttle Endeavour will complete its mission on the ISS and after they get connected, the ATV will stay attached for about 6 months.