ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle
 

Should be intersting, with the shuttle due off in the 11th of this month.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7278414.stm

So am I correct in thinking it just burns up on re-entry? Or does it deploy some kind of chute to be reused? Seems a pretty expensive one-use vehicle with those advanced sensors.

Burns up on reentry.

Apparently more economical than spending the money on making it reusable.

Actually I am partial to the Soyuz capsules. REading about them they were a damn site more advanced in terms of reentry tech than the Apollo capsules.

It does seem terribly wasteful, but given the costs involved it must make sense to someone. :-?

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEMW4ZOR4CF_0.html

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEM35OK26DF_0.html