This just published in the ESA website:

The Automated Transfer Vehicle, Europe’s ISS logistics spacecraft, was used to perform its first debris avoidance manoeuvre for the International Space Station. The manoeuvre was started yesterday at 18:11 CEST (16:11 UT) and finished 5 minutes 2 seconds later.

Access full article via this link. -- Daniel

"It was absolutely amazing ... it was absolutely fantastic." - A quick mp3 audio statement from ESA's John Ellwood, ATV Project Manager, who was (also) interviewed by Maria yesterday shortly after docking.

Access mp3 audio here:

"A wonderful achievement - we are all really happy because the team performed extremely well" - A quick mp3 audio statement from ESA's Alberto Novelli, head of operations here at ATV-CC, who was interviewed by Maria yesterday shortly after docking.

Access mp3 audio here:

Access an mp3 recording of comments by ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain, recorded after docking, when he spoke to the media and guests here at ATV-CC (thanks to Henning for this). -- Daniel

Access mp3 audio here:

An interesting time sequence of ATV docking, combined into one image. The original was compiled by Stuart, over at the Cumbria Sky blog (thanks, Stuart!). -- Daniel

(Click for full-size version)

Simvol view at 19 metres... (click for more!)

 Full story »

When our blog went down, your intrepid bloggers (that would be Maria) pulled out her trusty Exilim EX-S10 and grabbed a clip of ATV making contact from right here in ATV-CC. Afterwards, to say that 'the crowd went wild' would be an understatement: ever since then, there's been nothing but happy, smiling people here and there's just a tremendous feeling of achievement in the air. I spoke with ESA Mission Director Kris Capelle after the capture, and he said the feedback from the Russian and NASA partners that he received was entirely positive. It really is Europe's day! -- Daniel

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ATV Jules Verne, the European Space Agency’s first resupply and reboost vehicle, has successfully performed a fully automated docking with the International Space Station (ISS). This docking marks the beginning of Jules Verne’s main servicing mission to deliver cargo, propellant, water, oxygen and propulsion capacity to the Station, as well as ESA’s entry into the restricted club of the partners able to access the orbital facility by their own means.

Full ESA Press Release here

So what, exactly, does the crew feel when ATV is captured by the Russian docking port? Will they feel any motion in the ISS or transfer of momentum? 

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We've been badly hit with some technical problems here at ATV-CC so apologies, we were off air for a while there. Things seem to be returning to normal now though. We've been collecting info ever since and so now we will get you up to speed on the last half-hour or so of activity. The big news of course that you will by now (hopefully) know is that Jules Verne ATV docked with the Russian Zvezda module at 16:45 CEST - Docking was complete 7 minutes later when the hooks were closed.
-- Maria

Note also that we've added the video interviews with Jean-Francois Clervoy with the time stamps back-dated.. -- Daniel