ESA / CNES / Arianespace / Optique Video du CSG
Edoardo Amaldi is Station-Bound... At 9:34 PM, Pacific Daylight Time yesterday, an Ariane 5 rocket carrying the European Space Agency's (ESA) third and newest Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) blasted off from ESA's launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. Named after a late Italian physicist, Edoardo Amaldi will dock with the International Space Station (ISS) next Wednesday (March 28)...bringing to the outpost more than 4,800 pounds of fresh food, clothing and other cargo. Also, the ATV will transfer 1,900 pounds of propellant (out of 12,000 pounds of fuel the spacecraft has stored aboard) to the ISS’ onboard tanks that will allow it to re-boost to a higher orbit, as well as conduct collision avoidance maneuvers in case a piece of space junk poses a threat to the station. Edoardo Amaldi will also transfer 220 pounds of oxygen and air to the ISS, and replenish the outpost with 75 gallons of potable water.
Edoardo Amaldi is scheduled to undock from the ISS in late August, and will re-enter and burn up in Earth's atmosphere as designed shortly thereafter.
ESA - S. Corvaja, 2012
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