With undocking set for 25 September, we’ve got about 16 days to go in the attached phase of the ATV-3 mission. Below the image (have you spotted the bits of ATV?), you’ll find a brief annotated list of the main operational activities involving Edoardo Amaldi leading up to undocking.

20 August 2012 -- Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka (top), Expedition 32 commander; and Yuri Malenchenko, flight engineer, participate in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) to continue outfitting the International Space Station. ESA's ATV-3 Automated Transfer Vehicle, Edoardo Amaldi, can be see behind them. Credit: NASA

20 August 2012 — Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka (top), Expedition 32 commander; and Yuri Malenchenko, flight engineer, participate in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) to continue outfitting the International Space Station. ESA’s ATV-3 Automated Transfer Vehicle, Edoardo Amaldi, can be see behind them. Credit: NASA

Note, as always, that these dates/events are forecasts only and are subject to change.

In the annotations below, FE-4 and FE-6 are ISS flight engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide, respectively.

  • 12 Sep: ATV Reboost manoeuvre No. 9, set for 05:26 CEST (Final planned ATV-3 reboost!)
  • 14 Sep: ATV Reboost maneuver No. 9, backup slot
  • 16 Sep: 30S Undocking
  • Week of 17 Sep: Final ATV trash loading with close-out photos
  • 20 Sep: Photos/videos for MCI calculation/final Cargo configuration
  • 21 Sep: On-board training (OBT-ATV-UNDOCK-DRILL) – Planned for 45 min by FE-4 and FE-6
  • 24 Sep: ATV Tools gathering for final egress from ATV (15 min by FE-6)
  • 24 Sep: ATV-3 Hatch closure
  • 25 Sep: ATV-3 Photos for sensor cleanliness (ensure external laser sensors on ATV are uncontaminated)
  • 25 Sep: ATV-3 Undocking (time TBC; likely evening GMT)
  • 25 Sep: ATV Tools restow (15min by FE-6)
  • 26 Sep: ATV-3 Re-entry

ATV-3 cargo/propellent status as of 7 September:

  • Cargo status: done
  • Accepted trash: 840 kg so far
  • Liquid waste: 218 Kg so far
  • Air status: done
  • Oxygen status: 53kg (80%) transferred
  • Water: done
  • Fuel: done
  • Propellant status: 3769kg used, 331kg available for ISS reboost & attitude control