Cygnus ready for departure with Canadarm already attached. Credits: ESA/NASA

Cygnus ready for departure with Canadarm already attached. Credits: ESA/NASA

Today Cygnus will leave the International Space Station at 12:25 GMT packed with waste to burn up harmlessly in our atmosphere. The cargo spacecraft arrived in December 2015 and the astronauts unpacked the fresh supplies before using it for waste.

The 17-m Canadarm is used to grapple the spacecraft and move it away from the Space Station before the spacecraft’s thrusters take over and set it on its way. At the helm of the robotic arm are NASA astronauts Tim Kopra and Scott Kelly.

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst recorded the unberthing of Cygnus-2 during his six-month Blue Dot mission on the International Space Station in 2014 in this amazing timelapse:

Although this is a very delicate operation, life goes on for the four other astronauts in space. While Tim and Scott operate the robotic arm, Tim Peake will work on NASA’s Fine Motor experiment, have his weekly conference with ESA ground control and do part of his daily exercise routine.

Cygnus left the Station as planned at  12:25 GMT.