spacetoday.net: ATV undocks from ISS

ATV undocks from ISS

Posted: Tue, Jun 21, 2011, 7:34 AM ET (1134 GMT)
ATV-2 after undocking (ESA)

A European cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station on Monday after spending nearly four months at the station. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) 2, also known as Johannes Kepler, undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda module at 10:46 am EDT (1446 GMT) Monday. ATV-2, carrying about 1,200 kilograms of trash, is scheduled to deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere over the South Pacific late Tuesday. The spacecraft arrived at the station in February, carrying over seven tons of supplies, and last week used its thrusters to boost the station's orbit. The ATV's undocking clears the way for Tuesday's scheduled launch of a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft.