ATV-3 spacecraft successfully separated from the ISS station

Flight control center in the Russian suburbs of Moscow said that the European ATV-3 automatic cargo ship had successfully separated with the International Space Station (ISS) with the Star module at 1:46 on 29 / 9 (4 hours 46 hours Hanoi), after failing the first separation.

>>>Europe successfully launched the ATV-3 transport ship to ISS

Beginning its mission from the end of March 2012, the ATV-3 cargo ship brought more than 4.3 tons of cargo including fuel, oxygen and water to the crew on the station. During the orbit, the ATV-3 engines were used to adjust the ISS trajectory.

Expected on October 3, after completing the mission, the ATV-3 will leave orbit and fall to the Pacific Ocean.

ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) is the only type of spacecraft (except for the Russian Progress ship) capable of regularly navigating and adjusting the ISS's orbit. In addition, in the event of a risk of collisions with cosmic waste, ATV can move, evade collisions.

Earlier, the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched two ATV-1 vessels in 2008 and ATV-2 in 2011.

ATV cargo ships are usually launched from Kuru Cosmodrome in Guyana (French overseas territory located in the North Atlantic, South America) with Arian-5 heavy-duty boosters. It is expected that ESA will launch two ATV-type cargo ships from now until 2014.