European cargo spacecraft ATV-3 will fall into the Pacific Ocean on 3 October

European Automated Transfer Vehicle ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" successfully undocked today from the International Space Station / ISS /. Current attempt was the second and, unlike the first, which was made on 26 September, it went according to schedule.
At 01:45 MSK ship began moving toward the Earth. His arch-orbit and flooding in the Pacific will be held on the night of October 3.
ATV-3 mission began in late March. Orbit "truck" delivered more than 4.3 tons of cargo - fuel supply, oxygen and water by the crew of the station. For several months he remained docked to the ISS - ship engines were used to correct the orbital complex. Upon completion of a mission the unit was loaded waste.
European ship was named after the famous Italian physicist Edoardo Amaldi / 1908-1989 /. This is the third device series ATV, which is engaged in the development of the European Space Agency / ESA /. Earlier, a flight to the International Space Station has successfully carried out two other space truck of this type - ATV-1 "Jules Verne" in 2008 and ATV-2 "Johannes Kepler" in 2011. ATV - the only device, except for the Russian "Progress" that can perform the functions of refueling, orientation and regular orbit correction station. In addition, in case of a threat of collision with space debris, it can perform evasive maneuvers.