A commercial cargo ship has left the International Space Station after a month-long visit, carrying 1,600 kilograms of trash for disposal.
The unmanned "Cygnus" ship was launched in mid-July by Orbital Sciences Corporation, one of two U.S. companies hired by NASA to deliver goods to the space station.
It brought more than 1,400 kilograms of equipment and food to the orbiting outpost.
It is scheduled to burn up when reentering the Earth's atmosphere on August 17.
The six space station astronauts will attempt to record the reentry for analysis.
NASA and its international partners -- Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada -- are studying atmospheric reentry ahead of the space station's eventual shutdown in the next two decades.
The other company contracted by NASA, California-based SpaceX, will make its next supply run next month.
