22/06/2011 11:36
The end for ATV Johannes Kepler
Europe's unmanned ATV space freighter, Johannes Kepler plunged on command into Earth's atmosphere to end its mission as a spectacular shooting star over the southern Pacific Ocean. Contact with the spacecraft was lost at 20:41:39 GMT (22:41:39 CEST) at an altitude of 80 km.
After a flawless undocking from the International Space Station on Monday at 14:46 GMT (16:46 CEST), the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) flew solo while its mission control centre in Toulouse, France, prepared the craft for its fiery end.
ATV's last moments were recorded by a prototype 'black box' provided by the US Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies, Space Travel reported.