What new systems and technologies have been incorporated into the Progress spacecraft to enable its deorbiting capability?
The unmanned Progress 77 supply spacecraft has successfully returned to Earth after a six-month mission. The spacecraft, launched in late November of 2020, delivered several tons of supplies and fuel to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Progress 77 spacecraft has successfully returned to Earth, with its deorbit maneuver complete. The successful return was the result of a textbook deorbit burn, the last stage of its mission before it entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up in the process.
This mission was the 77th mission of the Progress spacecraft, used to deliver essential cargo and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) in support of its crew. Here are some notable accomplishments achieved during the mission:
Notable Accomplishments
- Delivered nearly three tons of cargo and supplies to the ISS, including fuel, food, water and other necessary supplies.
- Transported approximately four tons of non-essential cargo and trash to burn up upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Restocked the spacecraft with fuel and supplies for future missions.
- Produced scientifically-valuable data and observations of Earth during its mission.
The final deorbit maneuver was completed without a hitch, ensuring the safe and successful return of Progress 77. The spacecraft, programmed to burn up in the atmosphere after reentry, was a total success.
Progress 77 was the 10th and final mission of the Progress program to the International Space Station in support of its mission and crew. It was a resounding success and its careful planning, execution, and successful return have highlighted the importance of such missions in furthering human exploration and discovery in space.
On Sunday, July 26th, 2020 the Progress spacecraft, belonging to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), successfully completed an uncrewed deorbit burn that lasted two minutes and ended in a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
The spacecraft had been performing a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), and had been in orbit since April 17th, when it launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
During its time in orbit, the spacecraft was used to transfer 6,400 kilograms of cargo and supplies, including food, fuel and critical hardware, to the astronauts aboard the ISS.
The spacecraft had been traveling at speeds of 4.3 kilometers per second when it arrived at the Burn Station, an unmanned location approximately 400 kilometers away from the ISS.
At the Burn Station, the spacecraft’s engines were ignited and it began to deorbit into Earth’s atmosphere, burning up as it descended. That process lasted just two minutes and the spacecraft safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
This successful deorbit of the Progress spacecraft marks another impressive achievement for Roscosmos, who have become renowned for their successful space exploration missions and projects.
The mission also serves as a successful demonstration of software and technology advances made in short-term orbital flight management.
This ended a 66 day mission for the Progress spacecraft that included three successful re-docking maneuvers with the ISS. Following the deorbit, the next series of Progress vehicles are scheduled for launch later this year.