BBC: The European Space Agency is planning a replacement for its Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs), and it would like NASA to be involved. Since 2008, the unmanned ATVs have been taking supplies to, and trash from, the International Space Station. The ATVs are expendable. After leaving the ISS, they follow a course that results in their burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. Now that only three more ATVs remain in production, ESA has entered discussions with NASA to jointly develop a spaceship based on the ATV.