3 weeks and 3 cargo departures for εpsilon
ESA published a short video titled 3 weeks and 3 cargo departures for εpsilon on March 20, 2026 showing activity aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot’s εpsilon mission, highlighting the departure of multiple cargo vehicles over a three‑week period. The clip, shared via Adenot’s social media channels, captures undocking events as several logistics spacecraft left the orbiting laboratory, including the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG23 named S.S. William “Willie” McCool, underlining the cadence of supply movements in low Earth orbit. The footage illustrates routine cargo operations that maintain ISS resupply and return cycles as part of ongoing station logistics.
The video’s caption notes that three cargo vehicles departed the ISS in quick succession around orbit 0541 (Day 035) of the εpsilon mission, with Adenot recording events including celebratory traditions such as ringing the station bell. These departures follow the typical pattern of supply rotations where spacecraft deliver provisions, equipment and experiment results, and then undock for destructive reentry or disposal. The repeated cycling of cargo vehicles in a short interval reflects a busy period of resupply logistics that supports crewed research and operations on the ISS.
Adenot’s εpsilon mission continues to contribute European human spaceflight presence aboard the ISS, where crew members conduct scientific investigations, maintain station hardware and facilitate international collaboration. ESA’s sharing of multimedia content from this mission offers the public visual insights into orbital activities that are otherwise hard to observe, illustrating the rhythm of spacecraft traffic and operational life on the station as part of ongoing human spaceflight efforts.
