[SatNews] The go-ahead was given yesterday for the milestone 200th flight of an Ariane launcher, which will orbit the heaviest payload ever lofted by the European vehicle.

The launch readiness review validated the "go" status for the historic mission on Tuesday, February 15th. The flight will use an Ariane 5 ES version of Arianespace's heavy-lift launcher to deploy the second Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into a 260-kg. orbit for rendezvous and servicing of the International Space Station. This will be Arianespace's first mission of 2011, carrying a total payload mass of 20,050 kg., which includes 19,700 kg. for the ATV. The cargo resupply spacecraft was developed for the European Space Agency by an EADS Astrium-led industry consortium, and is named after German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler. It will be the first operational ATV, following the qualification flight of ATV Jules Verne, launched by an Ariane 5 ES in March 2008. This new ATV has been loaded with more than seven metric tons of payload - including 4,534 kg. of propellant to be used in the International Space Station's attitude control system, and for the facility's altitude re-boost operations. Also included is nearly 1,600 kg. of dry cargo and 100 kg. of oxygen to be used aboard the station.