Space station orbit successfully adjusted

Europe's ATV-3 unmanned supply spacecraft has raised the International Space Station's orbit to about 261 miles, a mission control spokesman said Wednesday.

The successful orbital readjustment follows a failed attempt Aug. 15 when the ATV-3's engines shut down prematurely because of an increase in temperature on one of the units, leaving the ISS short of its intended orbital height, RIA Novosti reported.

The orbit adjustment Wednesday was done in two stages, with the ATV-3 engines firing for 348 seconds to lift the orbit to 257 miles followed by another burn four hours later that brought the space station to its final altitude.

The maneuver was to prepare for the return to earth of Russia's Soyuz TMA-04M manned spacecraft on Sept. 17 and the docking of the Soyuz TMA-06M manned spacecraft with the ISS on Oct. 15.