The European Space Agency's fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-5), which is also its final cargo supply ship to be launched, has disembarked the International Space Station and its planned return to Earth will take place on February 15.

The unmanned ATV-5 called the Georges Lemaitre, named after a 20th century Belgian priest and astronomer, left at 8:42 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 14. The cargo supply ship stayed for the past six months at the orbiting space lab. It's bound to return to Earth on Sunday, 1:12 p.m. EST, and will burn up in the planet's atmosphere.

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The Expedition 42 crew on board the ISS will document and monitor the ship's re-entry as it slashes down towards the South Pacific Ocean. ESA and NASA will gather data about the mechanics of the breakup and explosion of the vehicle as it re-enters the planet's atmosphere.

The ATV-5's sensors will collect this scientific data along with ESA's Break-Up Camera that will measure extreme temperatures.

Since 2008, ATV vehicles have been supplying the ISS. ATV-1, also called Jules Verne, was also launched that same year.

ATV-2, Johannes Kepler, was launched in February 2011. ATV-3, Edoardo Amaldi, was launched in March 2012 and ATV-4, Albert Einstein, blasted off in June 2013.

All five robotic cargo vehicles brought 34 tons in total of scientific cargo and supplies to the space station.

ATV-5 is the size of a double deck bus. It delivered seven tons of food and scientific experiements along with tools, spare parts and gear when it docked in August 2014.

ESA's cargo resupply system won't end with the ATV program. Japan Aerospace Exploration Space Agency's H-II vehicle and the Russian Progress spacecraft are still continuing operations. Russia's Progress 58 has a scheduled launch on February 17 to the ISS.

SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft also send scientific payloads and supplies to the orbiting lab. Dragon returned to Earth last February 10.

It was the fifth cargo resupply mission under the NASA 12 resupply missios worth US $1.6 billion. It's also the only robotic vehicle designed to survive re-entry.

NASA also has a deal with Orbital ATK that will make eight cargo flight missions to the ISS. Two missions were successful while the third ended moments after liftoff last October 2014 when the Antares rocket exploded.

Watch the time lapse video here as the ATV-5 undocks from the space station.

TagsESA's Last and Final Robotic Cargo Supply Ship Leaves the ISS, ESA, NASA, ISS, ATV-5 cargo supply ship, europe ESA last final cargo supply ship space station, cargo supply ship undocking video ISS