Progress M 1-6 Transport Cargo Vehicle Launch to the ISS

At 02:32:40 Moscow Time the Progress M 1-6 transport cargo vehicle
was launched into a near-earth orbit under the International Space Station
(ISS) flight program.

The vehicle carries more than 900 kg of propellant for refueling the
combined propulsion system of the Russian Service Module Zvezda, which
provides the ISS attitude control. The Expedition Two crew will receive
food ratios, equipment for the atmospheric revitalization system, thermal
control system, radiation and medical control, sanitary-hygienic and
water supply system. In addition, the vehicle will bring up flight-data
files, internal lighting equipment and many other items.

The vehicle has been injected into orbit with a maximum altitude of
234.5 km, minimum altitude of 191 km, revolution of 88.49 min, and inclination
of 51.67?. The vehicle onboard systems operate normally in a design
mode.
The docking to the ISS is slated on May 23, 2001 at 04:23. The Progress
M 1-6 transport cargo vehicle will be docked to the axial port of the
module Zvezda on the side of the instrument compartment.

The Progress M 1-6 cargo vehicle prelaunch processing and launch at
Baikonur cosmodrome were accomplished under the direction of Yu.P. Semenov,
Technical Manager of Russian Manned Programs, General Designer of S.P.
Korolev RSC Energia, Academician of RAS.

The flight control of the Progress M 1-6 cargo vehicle is implemented
by Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) at the Mission Control Center
(MCC-M), Moscow area, Korolev. The flight director is pilot-cosmonaut
V.A. Soloviev.

According to the telemetry information and Expedition Two (ISS-2) crew
reports of Yu. Usachev (commander), D. Voss (flight engineer 1) and
S. Helms (flight engineer 2), all ISS systems operate normally, and
the station is prepared to receive the vehicle.

The ISS currently operates in orbit consisting of: Souyz TM-32 spacecraft,
Service Module Zvezda, Functional Cargo Block Zarya, Module Unity, Module
Destiny. The total mass of the Station is 113.7 kg.