ATV-5 docked with Station. Credits: ESA/NASA

ATV-5 docked with Station. Credits: ESA/NASA

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst let out the first of batch of oxygen from ATV-5’s storage tanks into the International Space Station’s atmosphere on 4 September. Around 20 kg of the 66.7 kg of oxygen ATV-5 ferried to the Station was released, increasing the Station’s atmosphere pressure by 13 mmHG (0.015 bar).

Although the Space Station recycles are large amount of its life support such as oxygen and water, regular supplies from Earth are required.

Steve, Aleksander and Oleg testing their spacecraft for their flight home. Credits: ESA/NASA

Steve, Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg check their spacecraft for their flight home. Credits: ESA/NASA

Alexander Gerst has also overseen a large part of unloading the dry cargo, transferring 1105 kg or around 41% off all the items that ATV-5 has in its cargo hold.

A transfer of fuel to the Space Station is planned for 24 September but first the Soyuz spacecraft with NASA commander Steve Swanson and cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev will leave the Space Station, during which ATV-5 will not offer propulsive support.