European cargo vessel docks with space station

PARIS (Reuters) - A European supply vessel carrying over five tons of freight docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday in a major advance for Europe's space program.

"I am incredibly proud of and pleased for our European partners with this demonstration of a successful automated docking of the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) cargo vehicle with the ISS," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said.

"Only Russia has previously achieved a successful automated docking in space ... The ATV marks the arrival of Europe as a full-fledged space power," Griffin said in a statement.

U.S. space shuttles are due to be taken out of service in 2010 leaving a gap of several years before the U.S. puts into operation a new generation of spacecraft expected in 2015.

Four more European ATV's are being planned, but more may be needed to keep the space station supplied.

In a news conference from Houston, NASA official Brian Smith described the docking as "an outstanding mission."

"JULES VERNE"

Dubbed 'Jules Verne' in honor of the visionary 19th century French science fiction writer, officials are counting on the ATV program, in which $2 billion has been invested so far, to open the way to further European space exploration.

The ATV, built by a consortium led by the space unit of aerospace group EADS, carries three times the cargo of Russia's Progress vehicle and will play a major role supplying the ISS.