European supply vessel docks with international space station

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The European cargo ship Jules Verne docks with the International Space Station. Photo: EFE

A new European cargo ship has flown to the international space station and docked, successfully delivering food, water and clothes in its orbital debut.

The unmanned cargo ship, called Jules Verne, is operated by flight controllers at a European Space Agency centre in Toulouse, France.

NASA's Mission Control in Houston and Russia's control centre outside Moscow have kept close tabs on the operation, which culminated in the Thursday morning linkup more than 200 miles above the Atlantic. So have the three space station residents.

Twice over the past week, flight controllers in Toulouse have guided Jules Verne to close encounters with the space station.