RSC Energia: Cargo vehicle Progress МS-09 docked to the ISS

RSC Energia: Cargo vehicle Progress МS-09 docked to the ISS

July 10, 2018

Today, on July 10 cargo transport vehicle Progress МS-09 developed and manufactured by RSC Energia successfully docked to the International Space Station (ISS).

The rocket with the vehicle was launched from launch pad No.31 of Baikonur launch site at 00:51 Moscow time. According to the telemetry information the vehicle normally separated from the third stage of the rocket at the estimated time. The deployment of the antennas and solar panels was detected. The vehicle was taken under control by specialists of the Lead Operational Control Team of the Russian Segment of the International Space Station (MCC RS LOCT) at MCC, and docked to the ISS using a two-orbit rendezvous capability.

The ultra-short two-orbit rendezvous capability developed at RSC Energia was used to launch a cargo transport vehicle to the orbital station for the first time in history. A transition to the fast docking capability provides improved operational characteristics of the vehicle, significantly increases the flight comfort level for the crew, and enables the cosmonauts to adapt more quickly to their life on the station. In future the ultra-short rendezvous capability will be used for manned launches to the ISS, including tourist flights, and during the implementation of the lunar program.

The automatic docking of the cargo vehicle to the docking compartment No. 1 (DC1) of the ISS was conducted at 04:39 Moscow time on July 10, 2018. The final approach process was monitored from the Station by Russian cosmonauts, flight engineers Oleg Artemiev and Sergey Prokopiev.

Cargo vehicle Progress МS-09 delivered to the ISS one and a half tons of dry cargo, 530 kg of propellant in the refueling system tanks, 420 kg of water in Rodnik system tanks, as well as 47 kg of bottled compressed air and oxygen. The cargo compartment stows science hardware, components for the life support system, as well as food ration containers, clothes, medical supplies and personal hygiene means for the crewmembers. A new spacesuit Оrlan-ISS No.5 which design was modified according to the cosmonauts comments was launched to orbit within the individual protection gear. The delivered cargo also includes scientific and educational satellites SiriusSat-1 and SiriusSat-2. The spacecraft were manufactured by schoolchildren in the educational center Sirius (Sochi) based on nanosatellite bus OrbiCaft-Pro. The spacecraft payload is a space particles detector developed at MSU SRI for nuclear physics. The spacecraft included in the list of RadioScaf science experiment hardware were subject to a full certification at RSC Energia before delivery to the ISS. The launch of nanosatellites SiriusSat-1 and SiriusSat-2 is scheduled for August during a spacewalk of Russian cosmonauts (EVA-45).

Transport cargo vehicle Progress МS is intended to deliver 'dry cargo', propellant components, water and gas supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), perform dynamic operations within the Station using its own thrusters, as well as dispose waste and used equipment from the Station. The additional tasks of the vehicle comprise performance of space experiments in a free flight and flight testing of the onboard systems and their elements.

RSC Energia is the leader in the rocket and space industry, and the prime contractor for manned space systems. The Corporation conducts work on the development of unmanned space and rocket systems (launch vehicles and orbital transfer vehicles), and high-technology systems for various non-space applications.

SC ROSCOSMOS is a State Corporation that was established in August 2015 to implement a comprehensive reform of the Russian rocket-and-space industry. State Corporation ROSCOSMOS ensures the implementation of the Russian government's space program and its legal regulation. ROSCOSMOS is also placing orders for the development, manufacture and supply of space equipment and space infrastructure objects. The state corporation is also responsible for international space cooperation and arranging conditions for the future use of results of space activities in the social and economic development of Russia.

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RSC Energia press-center