Cargo Droid Prepared and Launched To ISS
The Progress M-04M/36P spacecraft was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 2 Feb 2010 (1 Feb 2010 at 10:45pm EST). It docked two days later at the International Space Station and will stay docked for several months. Below you can follow the process of integrating the Progress spacecraft with its Soyuz launch vehicle and its transport to the launch pad.
The Progress M-04M/36P spacecraft was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 2 Feb 2010 (1 Feb 2010 at 10:45pm EST). It docked two days later at the International Space Station and will stay docked for several months. Below you can follow the process of integrating the Progress spacecraft with its Soyuz launch vehicle and its transport to the launch pad.
January 24, 2010. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-04M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program. Progress M-04M cargo vehicle fuelled with propellant components and compressed gases was delivered to the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility for final processing operations.
January 26, 2010. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-04M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program.Progress M-04M transport cargo vehicle was docked with the transfer compartment in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility.
January 28, 2010. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-04M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program. Designers inspection of the Progress M-04M transport cargo vehicle was completed.
Payload shroud roll on to the cargo vehicle was performed.
January 29, 2010. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-04M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program. Orbital module of the Soyuz-U launch vehicle, containing Progress M-04M spacecraft was transported from the spacecraft processing facility for the general integration with LV.
January 31, 2010. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-04M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program. Orbital module of the Soyuz-U launch vehicle, containing Progress M-04M spacecraft was integrated with the Soyuz-U launch vehicle in the processing facility.
February 1, 2010. Baikonur launch site,
branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-04M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program. Soyuz-U launch vehicle was rolled out from the integration building to the launch pad. Soyuz-U launch vehicle with Progress M-04M transport vehicle is installed on the launch pad. L-2 days activities have been started.
February 3, 2010. Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
At 06:45:29 Moscow Time a space logistics spacecraft Progress M-04M was launched from the Baikonur launch site. The purpose of the launch is to support further in-orbit operation of the International Space Station (ISS) in accordance with Russian commitments under that project. The main objective of the mission is to deliver to the Space Station about 2.6 tons of various cargoes that are needed to continue the ISS mission in manned mode and provide living and working conditions for the crew. The spacecraft was put into a parking low-Earth orbit with the following parameters: 51.65* inclination, 191.8 km minimal altitude, 232.41 km maximum altitude, 88.47 minutes orbital period. The onboard systems of the spacecraft operate normally. At the launch site, the spacecraft prelaunch processing and launch operations were performed under the direction of the State Commission (chaired by the head of Roscosmos A.N. Perminov). The Commission was basing its decisions to proceed with each next step in processing and launching on the opinions of the Technical Management headed by the President of RSC Energia, Designer General V.A. Lopota. According to the telemetry data and reports from the crew of ISS Expedition 22, the space station systems operate in normal mode. The station is ready for docking with the spacecraft. The spacecraft docking is scheduled for February 5, 2010, at 07:26 Moscow Time.
For information:
S.P. Korolev RSC Energia is a Russian company of strategic importance, the prime organization in the Russian rocket and space industry that carries out manned space flight, responsible for the development of the ISS Russian Segment, its integration into the Space Station and its operation, including development and operation of principal Russian modules (Zvezda, Pirs, Poisk etc.), manufacturing, launch and operation of Soyuz TMA and Progress M spacecraft.
The spacecraft carries into orbit in its compartment supplies of propellant, food, water and consumables, as well as hardware for the US segment of the ISS.
Currently working in orbit under the ISS program are: Russian cosmonauts Maxim Suraev and Oleg Kotov, US astronauts Jeffrey Williams (ISS commander) and Timothy Creamer, Japanese space agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi
Progress M-04M is the 36th Russian logistics spacecraft launched to ISS within the framework of this project, and the fourth spacecraft in the new series of logistics spacecraft Progress M with improved performance.
