Ariane 5 ready for liftoff on Arianespace's heavy-lift mission with ATV

Preparations for the liftoff of Ariane 5 on Arianespace's heavy-lift mission with Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Albert Einstein has concluded, made it ready for heading to the International Space Station on a service mission on Wednesday. Emerging from the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 was transferred on a mobile table to the ELA-3 launch zone, where it is now poised for the June 5 liftoff, said Ariane in a statement Tuesday. This launch is set in French Guiana at the precise moment of 21:52:11 GMT on Wednesday, according to the aerospace company statement, which has been calculated for its orbital phasing to rendezvous with the International Space Station. With a liftoff mass of 20,235 kg, the Europe's fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle will be the heaviest payload ever orbited by an Ariane launcher. Following its in-orbit checkout, ATV Albert Einstein is scheduled to make an automatic docking at the International Space Station on June 15. Flight VA213 will be the 213th launch with Europe's series of Ariane vehicles since an operation began in 1979, and is the heavy-lift Ariane 5 version's 69th flight. This latest ATV, well equipped with experimental and supply materials, is the fourth entrusted to Arianespace for launch. The other three were orbited by Ariane 5 launchers in March 2008, February 2011 and March 2012.