Russians launch resupply ship to space station
BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: January 29, 2004

A load of vital supplies and parts for the International Space Station was successfully dispatched from Earth today, blasting off aboard an unmanned Russian Soyuz rocket.

The Progress cargo freighter reached orbit about 9 minutes after its 6:58 a.m. (1158 GMT) launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.


Soyuz rocket lifts off today carrying the Progress freighter. Credit: Energia
 
Known in the station's assembly sequence as Progress 13P, the Russian-made craft is also called Progress M1-11 and No. 260.

Mission Control reported the ship had settled into an elliptical perch of 163 miles at apogee, 119 miles at perigee, an inclination of 51.65 and a period of 88.73 minutes.

Its solar arrays were unfurled and communications antennas deployed for the two-day trip to reach the station. A fully automated docking to the aft port of the Russian Zvezda service module planned for Saturday at 8:15 a.m. EST (1315 GMT).

The craft will use the docking port freed up Wednesday when the Progress 12P (M-48 or No. 248) departed the station at 3:36 a.m. EST (0836 GMT) with garbage and unneeded equipment. After firing its engines to brake from orbit, the craft reentered the atmosphere at 8:46 a.m. EST (1346 GMT) to burn up harmlessly.

This latest Progress is ferrying 5,171 pounds of gear to the station, according to NASA, including a new flex hose for the Destiny laboratory's window that was causing the recent pressure leak, replacement parts for the oxygen-generating Elektron unit, an entire spare Elektron, new Solid Fuel Oxygen Generator candles, batteries for the Zarya and Zvezda modules, gas analyzer equipment, updated fire suppression and detection equipment, a new Russian Orlan spacesuit to replace one currently on the station that has exceeded its lifetime, the Matryoshka experiment package set for installation on Zvezda's exterior during an upcoming spacewalk, film, cameras and cassettes.

For the station's two-man crew, Expedition 8 commander Mike Foale and flight engineer Alexander Kaleri, Russian and American food, utensils, medical kit equipment and personal hygiene items are aboard the Progress.


File image of Russian Progress cargo freighter in space. Credit: NASA
 
In preparation for the Expedition 9 crew's arrival three months from now, this Progress is carrying the future resident's clothes, retro-reflectors to be mounted to the Zvezda module during a later spacewalk to guide approaching European cargo transporters and educational props for filming during the mission.

The Expedition 9 crew will be joined during launch April 19 by European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers who will spend about a week on the station before returning to Earth with Expedition 8. The scientific experiments Kuipers will operate went up on this resupply mission.

Today's launch was the first of several Progress missions expected this year. It also marked Russia's first space launch in 2004.

The following timeline shows the key events scheduled from launch until docking for this Progress freighter.

Thursday events

Event Mission Time Eastern TimeGMT
LAUNCH 0/00:00:00 06:58:06 a.m. 1158:06
Orbit Insertion 0/00:08:40 07:06:46 a.m. 1206:46
Maneuver DV1
(12.16 m/s)
0/03:35:07 10:33:13 a.m. 1533:13
Maneuver DV2
(6.76 m/s)
0/04:11:57 11:10:03 a.m. 1610:03

Friday events

Event Mission Time Eastern TimeGMT
Maneuver DV3
(2.00 m/s)
1/00:50:46 07:48:52 a.m. 1248:52

Saturday events

Event Mission Time Eastern TimeGMT
Start Automated
Rendezvous
1/22:50:01 05:48:07 a.m. 1048:07
DV4 / Impulse 1
(26.737 m/s)
1/23:10:34 06:08:40 a.m. 1108:40
Impulse 2
(1.272 m/s)
1/23:33:08 06:31:14 a.m. 1131:14
Progress Kurs-A
activation
1/23:33:50 06:31:56 a.m. 1131:56
Zvezda Kurs-P
activation
1/23:33:54 06:32:00 a.m. 1132:00
DV5 / Impulse 3
(38.310 m/s)
1/23:56:29 06:54:35 a.m. 1154:35
TORU command
link activation
Range 9 km
2/00:29:54 07:28:00 a.m. 1228:00
Progress TV
activation
Range 8 km
2/00:31:54 07:30:00 a.m. 1230:00
Impulse 4
(6.735 m/s)
2/00:39:46 07:37:52 a.m. 1237:52
Ballistic Targeting
Point
2/00:40:01 07:38:07 a.m. 1238:07
Impulse 5
(4.723 m/s)
2/00:46:00 07:44:06 a.m. 1244:06
Impulse 6
(2.272 m/s)
2/00:47:49 07:45:55 a.m. 1245:55
Start flyaround
mode
2/00:49:57 07:48:03 a.m. 1248:03
Start stationkeeping 2/00:58:57 07:57:03 a.m. 1257:03
Start final approach 2/01:07:24 08:05:30 a.m. 1305:30
DOCKING 2/01:17:24 08:15:30 a.m. 1315:30

Data source: NASA.

Apollo 11 special patch
Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Inside Apollo mission control
An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial.
 Choose your store:
U.S.

The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD
This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Next ISS crew
Own a little piece of history with this official patch for the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew. We'll ship yours today!
 Choose your store:
U.S.

Ares patch
The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem.
 U.S. STORE




Apollo patches
The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.
 U.S. STORE

Columbus mission patch
The official astronaut embroidered patch of Atlantis' STS-122 mission that launched the Columbus science lab in February is available to U.S. customers from our store.
 U.S. STORE

The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD
This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Columbia Report
A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars Panorama

DISCOUNTED! This 360 degree image was taken by the Mars Pathfinder, which landed on the Red Planet in July 1997. The Sojourner Rover is visible in the image.
 Choose your store:
U.S.

Apollo 11 Mission Report
Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD!
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Rocket DVD
If you've ever watched a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg Air Force Base or even Kodiak Island Alaska, there's no better way to describe what you witnessed than with this DVD.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Gemini 7
Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo patches
The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars Rover mission patch
A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo 9 DVD
On the road to the moon, the mission of Apollo 9 stands as an important gateway in experience and procedures. This 2-DVD collection presents the crucial mission on the voyage to the moon.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo 11 special patch
Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K.

Get e-mail updates
Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose).
Enter your e-mail address:

INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE
ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE

ADVERTISE

© 2008 Pole Star Publications Ltd