Progress 12 Docks With International Space Station

Progress 12 docked with the ISS at the Zvezda aft port on Saturday at 11:40 PM EDT.

Progress 12 carries a half ton of food, fuel, supplies and water for Malenchenko and Lu and science gear for European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain, who is scheduled to launch October 18 from Baikonur on the Soyuz TMA-3 craft with Expedition 8 Commander Mike Foale and Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri. Duque will spend eight days aboard the ISS conducting science experiments under a commercial contract between ESA and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. Duque will return to Earth on Oct. 28 with Malenchenko and Lu.

The new Progress is also filled with personal items and hardware for Foale and Kaleri, who are scheduled to spend almost 200 days aboard the ISS.

Another Progress vehicle currently docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment will undock from the ISS on September 4 to clear the way for the arrival of Foale, Kaleri and Duque in the Soyuz TMA-3 on October 20.