Photos: Watching Progress 47 Leave and Return and Leave

Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka (background), Expedition 32 commander; and Yuri Malenchenko, flight engineer, use still cameras at windows in the International Space Station’s Zvezda Service Module during undocking activities of the unpiloted Progress 47 resupply spacecraft. The Progress temporarily undocked from the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment on July 22, 2012 in order to perform a series of engineering tests during re-docking designed to verify an upgraded automated rendezvous system that will facilitate future dockings of Russian vehicles to the space station. Progress 47 separated from the station to a distance of about 100 miles and held position for 24 hours. ISS032-E-010075 (22 July 2012) — high res (1.8 M) low res (107 K)

The unpiloted Russian Progress 47 resupply spacecraft is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 32 crew member as it approaches the International Space Station for re-docking on July 28, 2012. The cargo ship temporarily undocked on July 22 in order to test the new Kurs-NA automated rendezvous system. The cargo ship successfully re-docked at 9:01 p.m. (EDT) on July 28. ISS032-E-010644 (28 July 2012) — high res (1.5 M) low res (87 K)

The unpiloted Russian Progress 47 supply vehicle departs from the International Space Station on July 30, 2012. The trash-filled Progress will orbit Earth for several weeks of engineering tests before re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. The departure of Progress 47 clears the way for the next unpiloted supply ship, Progress 48, which is set to launch at 3:35 p.m. (EDT) on Aug. 1 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Docking is targeted less than six hours later at 9:24 p.m. to the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment. ISS032-E-011282 (30 July 2012) — high res (0.6 M) low res (32 K)