1. What types of supplies are the Progress Cargo Craft carrying?
Spacecraft Successfully Lifted Off to Resupply Crew
A Progress freighter spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan on Wednesday and is now on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) to resupply the crew. The Progress Cargo Craft (PCC) is carrying 2.6 tons of cargo, including fuel, air, supplies, maintenance tools, and experiments.
High-Tech Delivery Vehicle
This mission is the first of three flights planned for the year, and is being carried out by the Progress MS-15 (or Soyuz 2.1a), a modernized version of the Russian workhorse spacecraft that has been used to supply the ISS since the station’s first Expedition.
This high-tech delivery vehicle has a new digital flight control system, a improved electric motors, and upgraded control thrusters. The Progress MS-15 also has two antennas, which alternate data transmission to ensure constant communication with the station, and can even compensate for power outages at the ground tracking stations.
Rewards for Successful Completion
The spacecraft is expected to dock at the station on Friday and its arrival could be the first time a Progress freighter has docked with the station while the crew was awake. Upon successful completion of the mission, the crew will unload the cargo, dispose of gear, and reload the spacecraft with waste, before it undocks and disposes of the waste in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
- Pad 39A Remains Busy: This mission is the second of three flights to launch from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center this week, with the first being the SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo 2 launch, the first certified mission for humans to the ISS.
- Exciting Experiments Aboard: Among the cargo on-board the Progress MS-15 are experiments for the crew to conduct on the station. Some of these experiments include sampling of sea creatures on the ocean floor, and studies of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Progress MS-15 is expected to arrive at the ISS early Friday morning, and the mission marks a major milestone in the mission to ensure the safety of the crew, and in the exploration of space. Every successful mission is an important step forward in our understanding of space exploration.
The international space station (ISS) received a resupply delivery from Progress Cargo Craft early this morning. The craft lifted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at 8:45 a.m local time, carrying three tons of cargo, including food and supplies, to supplement the station’s six-person crew.
This launch marked the 70th resupply mission conducted with a Progress Cargo Craft, and is the first of three scheduled cargo delivery missions this year. The launch marked the first of three resupply missions planned by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and it is also the 69th Progress cargo spacecraft that has delivered supplies to the ISS.
Progress Cargo Crafts are an integral part of Roscosmos’ mission to examine and eventually colonize the solar system. These spacecrafts have been used for a wide range of missions such as short-duration excursions, cargo delivery, and even testing of interplanetary exploration technologies. With more than 12,000 successful missions to the International Space Station since their first launch in 2001, the Progress Cargo Crafthas established itself as a reliable and versatile vehicle.
This launch also marks the return of Russia to the ISS. This resupply mission was the first since Russia’s decision to end its involvement in the ISS program in August 2019. The incident, resulting from a discrepancy over engine parts, had prevented the Soyuz rocket from carrying cargo to the ISS. Finally, this mission marks a new era in the mission of Roscosmos, as the Russian space agency looks to further the goals of humankind’s exploration of space.
The Progress Cargo Craft is expected to arrive at the ISS on February 19th, where it will stay for more than three months. During this period, it will provide the station with supplies and necessities. The crew, in turn, will use the spacecraft as a platform for carrying out exploration and experiments, allowing for further progress and growth for humanity’s space enterprises. The craft will eventually be deorbited, providing an opportunity to examine the effects of long-term space travel on the human body.
Progress Cargo Crafts are an invaluable part of space exploration, mainly due to their convenience and cost efficiency. As the number of resupply missions and exploratory expeditions continues to grow, their importance will only continue to shine brighter. We look forward to the many successes of the Progress Cargo Crafts and their contribution to the furthering of space exploration.
