Russia's Mission Control raises ISS orbit by 19.2 km

RiaNovosti: Russia's Mission Control raises ISS orbit by 19.2 km
Russia's Mission Control has adjusted the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) by raising it 19.2 kilometers (11.9 miles) to 364.6 km (226.5 miles), a spokesman for the Mission Control said.

Europe's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler, which docked with the ISS on February 24, fired its engines twice on Sunday night for a total of one hour and 16 minutes to move the station to the desired working orbit.

"The adjustment was carried out with the help of thrusters of Europe's ATV-2 Johannes Kepler space freighter," the spokesman said.

The ATV-2 is scheduled to undock from the orbital station on June 21 and burn up as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, disposing of unneeded items from the space station.

The current ISS crew comprises Russian cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA's astronauts Mike Fossum and Ronald Garan, and Japan's astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.

MOSCOW, June 13 (RIA Novosti)