[youtube_video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSNGVGZlf-o[/youtube_video]
Video courtesy of ESA
A planned orbital boost of the International Space Station (ISS) ended sooner than the 30 minutes originally planned. The boosters used were actually on the Edoardo Amaldi Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3). On Wednesday the ATV began firing to raise the ISS – but was stopped and the reminder of the reboost is scheduled to take place on Aug. 22.
During the firing a temperature alarm sounded and software aboard the ISS shut the thrusters down. The cause of the alarm is currently being investigated.
The ATV is a cargo vessel that Europe uses to deliver supplies to the ISS. It is also used to boost the station’s orbit. According to an ESA press release the burn was to have increased the space station’s speed by 4.4 meters a second (only 2.9 meters a second was reached). This would have raised the station’s orbit an additional five miles for a total of 257 miles.
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