The European Space Agency’s ATV-3 cargo resupply spacecraft has been successfully de-orbited and sunk in the Pacific, Russia’s Mission Control Center said on Wednesday.
ATV-3, or Edoardo Amaldi Automated Transfer Vehicle, undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 29 after a previously unsuccessful attempt earlier last week.
ATV-3 remained docked with the Zvezda service module on the Russian segment of the orbital station after an initial attempt to undock a week ago was called off due to a command error in the communications link between the ISS and the space freighter.
ATV-3 docked with the ISS on March 28, five days after it lifted off from the European launch center in Kourou, French Guiana. The freighter delivered some seven metric tons of supplies, including scientific equipment.