At 19:32 CEST, ESA’s Mission Director Mike Steinkopf sent in a quick update from ATV-CC on hatch closing:

Today’s egress activities were performed successfully. Two smoke detectors, the fire extinguisher, air exchange duct, two gas masks and all four lamp housing units have been removed from ATV Johannes Kepler and stowed in the ISS. The gas masks, fire extinguisher and air exchange duct will be used for ATV3 (scheduled for flight February 2012); the smoke detectors and lamp housing units will be used as spares for either future ATVs or the ISS.

The ATV hatch and the ISS hatch are now closed.

The vestibule (the inner hatch volume between the ATV and the Russian module where it is docked) has been depressurized and a leak check was successful.

That’s it! We are ready for the last-before-final mission operation: undocking tomorrow – followed by re-entry on 21 June.

Best regards,
Mike Steinkopf
ESA-ATV – MD on console