Time-Lapse of Cygnus Departing the Space Station
Astronauts say goodbye to their supply ship after a month in orbit.
The astronauts on the International Space Station said goodbye on August 15 to their trash-filled Cygnus cargo vehicle, which had arrived at the station a month earlier full of supplies.
Reid Wiseman posted this time-lapse Vine of the station’s robot arm getting the Cygnus in position...
...then releasing it to re-enter and burn up in the atmosphere two days later. Wiseman reported on Twitter: “[Alexander Gerst] worked the arm and I pushed the ‘so long’ button on Cygnus.”
Here’s a different view posted by the European Space Agency, showing the full sequence, including a wait during the night-time part of the station’s orbit.