Jules Verne arrives in French Guiana

PARIS, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The European Space Agency's first automated transfer vehicle, the Jules Verne, has arrived at Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The spacecraft, the first of five such vehicles, arrived at Pariacabo harbor Tuesday, nearly two weeks after leaving Rotterdam harbor aboard a French cargo ship.

More than 400 tons of spacecraft and related equipment was unloaded and trucked to the nearby spaceport.

The spacecraft's inaugural mission, expected later this year, follows three years of testing. ESA officials said the Jules Verne is the most complex spaceship ever developed in Europe, capable of carrying about 6 tons of cargo during missions to the International State Station.