The International Space Station waved goodbye to the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) that the ESA had sent to the station with supplies. The ATV had arrived on the ISS with supplies for the astronauts onboard the ISS which were retrieved and then was re-filled in space will garbage for its return back to earth.
The aim was to let the ATV burn as it re-entered the earths atmosphere which would mark its last mission. The ATV was one of the largest cargo vehicles that was operating as a supplies ship for the ISS. The ESA which bought the concept of the ATV to life was not clear as to why it is discontinuing the use of the vehicle but reports suggest the high cost of 450 million euros ($585 million) per mission including launch aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket might be one of the reasons as the ESA wants to focus on reusable supply ships to cut down on costs.
