On 31 July 2007, the first ATV, "Jules Verne", arrived at the ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, after a nearly two-week journey from Rotterdam harbour. On 9 March 2008, "Jules Verne" was launched on top of an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou. On 3 April 2008, "Jules Verne" succeeded in automatically docking with the ISS, proving the capabilities of the ESA's first fully automated, expendable cargo resupply spacecraft. The arrival of the ATV came at a time at which there were public concerns over the logistical practicality of supplying the ISS.