Just confirmed at the ATV management team meeting: departure of ATV-3 from the ISS is now planned for 28 September, around 20:15 GMT | 22:15 CEST (time to be set based on pending flight dynamics calculations).

 ESA mission team discussing ATV-3 undocking with MCC Moscow. Credit: ESA

ESA mission team discussing ATV-3 undocking with MCC Moscow. Credit: ESA

ATV-3 Mission Manager Massimo Cislaghi says the final time will only vary from that above by a few minutes.

In the photo above, ESA’s Emilio de Pasquale (blue shirt) is seen leaning over the speaker phone while discussing the ATV undocking date with Mission Control Centre (MCC) Moscow; he speaks rather good Russian!