Busy days at the ISS

It's starting to get a bit crowded up there. Jules Verne is now on standby waiting to dock after the shuttle leaves.
www.space.com/missionlaunches/080320-atv-update.html

Not only that John, but the planned docking of the ATV on 3rd April coincides with the best of the next lot of passes over Ireland - we should be able to see the two craft getting closer on 31st March and 1st and 2nd April - great photo oppotunities!

Anybody know what happens to the ATV after delivering it's cargo? Is it thrown away or recovered and re-used? I would imagine the latter, but you never know what the cost implications of a recovery involve.

a parking spot 1,200 miles (2,000 km) ahead of the orbiting lab.

Sounds far away, but thats just 200 seconds (approx.) flight time between them.

In essence, the ATV gets filled up with rubbish and burnt up in the atmosphere! It is not a reusable craft. Anything that needs bringing back comes down by Shuttle or Soyuz.

filled up with rubbish and burnt up

A mobile incinerator.
Expensive one at that.
Wonder what its carbon footprint is?