14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at the European Space Agency (ESA) announce that their third Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV3), called Edoardo Amaldi, reentered Earth's atmosphere earlier today, October 3, and burned up high above the Pacific Ocean. This marked the successful conclusion of its mission.
The spacecraft – Europe's most complex, and the largest automatic resupply capsule destined to service the International Space Station and its crew – launched for the orbital laboratory on March 23, 2012.
Weighing more than 20 tons at launch, ATV-class spacecraft are able to act as space tugs, and can maneuver the entire space station in orbit. They can also be used to raise or lower the lab's orbit, so that the latter can avoid space debris.
After spending several days catching up to the ISS in low-Earth orbit, Edoardo Amaldi was able to dock to the aft port on the Russian-built Zvezda module at 2251 GMT, on March 28, delivering essential supplies for the station's six-astronaut crew.
The spacecraft was launched atop an Ariane 5ES delivery system, provided by French company Arianespace, from the Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3 (ELA3) launch pad at the ESA Kourou Spaceport, in French Guiana, South America.
ATV3 carried 3,150 kilograms (6,900 pounds) of reboost/attitude control propellant, 860 kilograms (1,900 pounds) of refuel propellant, 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of oxygen, 285 kilograms (630 pounds) of water, and 2,200 kilograms (4,900 pounds) of food, clothes, equipment and other dry cargo.
A bonus item on the spacecraft was a copy of a letter written by Edoardo Amaldi himself, back in 1958. The document reflects his vision of a European space organization dedicated to the peaceful and non-military exploration and understanding of space.
Over the past six months, ATV3 was used to conduct nine ISS reboost maneuvers, adjusting the station's flight path so that its orbit remains stable. European ATV and Russian Progress capsules are essential for conducting this type of maneuvers. Without them, the station would crash.
The next ESA resupply mission will be conducted by ATV4, called Albert Einstein. The vehicle has already been delivered to Kourou, and it is currently being prepared for an April 2013 launch.
The following mission, ATV5, will be called Georges Lemaître. The spacecraft is currently assembled, and scheduled to launch in April 2014.