European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle-3

ISS033-E-007920 (28 Sept. 2012) --- European Space Agency's "Edoardo Amaldi" Automated Transfer Vehicle-3 (ATV-3) begins its relative separation from the International Space Station during the Expedition 33 mission. The ATV-3 undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module at 5:44 p.m. (EDT) on Sept. 28, 2012. The ATV-3 is scheduled to deorbit on Oct. 2 for a fiery re-entry over the Pacific Ocean that will destroy the trash-filled spacecraft. Inside the ATV-3 is the Re-Entry Breakup Recorder that will record various data such as temperature, pressure and speed as the resupply craft burns up during its return to Earth. Experts will use that data to design safer and more predictable destructive re-entry techniques.