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PARIS, March 9 -- The European Space Agency on Sunday launched its first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into space, French media reported.
The ATV blasted into the skies at 1:03 a.m. (0403 GMT) aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The launch was initially scheduled for Saturday but was delayed for technical checks.
The ATV is scheduled to separate from the Ariane rocket at 0535 GMT and reignite its propulsion system 30 minutes later.
It will remain in a "parking orbit" and then is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on April 3 to deliver around eight tons of food, water, fuel and personal items to the ISS crew.
The ATV, dubbed "Jules Verne" in honor of the visionary French science fiction writer, is the first ATV that Europe has committed to its participation in the ISS program.
The craft will detach from the ISS after six months or so, with rubbish accumulated during the station's mission. The rubbish will be safely disintegrated together with the freighter over the Pacific, mission scientists said.
The freighter, 10.3-m long and 4.5-m wide, weighs 11 tonnes and is laden with hi-tech optical navigation, docking sensors and communications equipment.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed the successful launch, describing it as a "major European contribution" to the ISS's functioning.
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