Progress M1-5 Cargo Vehicle Docking to MIR Orbital Complex

The Progress M1-5 transport cargo vehicle launched on 24 January 2001 from Baikonur Cosmodrome following the completion of a three-day autonomous flight in a near-earth orbit to the MIR Orbital Complex, docked to it on the Kvant module side.

The module port contact occurred at 8:33 a.m. Moscow time, when the
vehicle and station were in the coverage area of the Russian ground
measurement stations.

The cargo vehicle delivered about 2.5 t of propellant to conduct operations
required under the final MIR Orbital Complex flight phase program.
During the vehicle flight the effective procedure of the transport cargo
vehicle rendezvous with the Orbital Stations previously tested on rendezvous
of Progress M-43 vehicle with the Station was used.

The Progress M1-5 transport cargo vehicle docked to the docking port,
which on January 25 at 08:19:20 Moscow time was cleared by Progress
M-43 being in a free flight.

The Orbital Complex of 137 t (consisting of the Core, Kvant, Kvant-2,
Kristall, Spektr and Priroda modules, docking compartment, Progress
M1-5 cargo vehicle) rotates around the Earth in orbit with a maximum
altitude of 311.6 km, minimum altitude of 292.3 km, inclination of 51.66?.
The period of revolution is 90.3 min.

The flight control of the MIR Orbital Complex and Progress M-43 is implemented
by the Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) from Moscow Mission Control
Center (MCC). The flight director is pilot-cosmonaut V.A. Soloviev.

According to LOCT, the onboard systems of the MIR Orbital Complex modules
and Progress M1-5, Progress M-43 vehicles are in up state. The Orbital
Complex is flying in an unmanned mode.

On docking of the Progress M1-5 vehicle with the MIR Orbital Complex
Yu.P. Semenov, Technical Manager of Manned Space Programs, S.P. Korolev
RSC Enegia General Designer, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
V.A. Grin, Interdepartment governmental Committee Deputy Chairman, lieutenant
general; V.V. Alaverdov, First Deputy Director General of Russian Aerospace
Agency; N.A. Anfimov, Director of FGUP TsNIIMash, Academician of the
Russian Academy of Sciences; specialists of S.P. Korolev RSC Enegia,
Rosaviakosmos, TsNII of Machine-Building, developers of the station
modules and cargo vehicles onboard systems, representatives of other
organizations participating in the MIR Station program activities including
the final flight phase were present at MCC.

Following the docking complete a press-conference for journalists took
place in MCC.

Responding to their questions, Yu.P. Semenov, General Designer, Academician
of RAS, reported that the Complex is performing a controlled flight
according to the program. All needed technical flight control systems
and methods have been involved, which were tested over the previous
years the flight program implementation for the orbital stations and
vehicles including final operations of their de-orbit in a predetermined
area of the Pacific Ocean.