A Russian Progress cargo craft has successfully docked at the International Space Station just days before its 20th anniversary, bringing around 2.5 tons of supplies to keep the mission going.
The Progress MS-10 spacecraft, mounted on a Soyuz-FG rocket, lifted off on Friday morning from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Following a two-day space flight, the Progress finally docked at the International Space Station (ISS), Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed.
The docking procedure was fully automated, as the spacecraft’s computers guided it all the way to the rendezvous point. The craft, which used its thrusters to adjust its trajectory, completed its radar-guided docking with the Zvezda module of the ISS.
Cameras on board the station spotted the Progress around one kilometer away as it approached the docking port.
The docking occurred while the ISS was in orbit over Algeria. Roscosmos specialists on the ground, as well as cosmonaut Sergey Prokopiev on the ISS, kept an eye on the process, ready to take manual control if needed.
The Progress delivered around 2.5 tons of cargo, including 725kg of fuel, 420kg of fresh water, as well as scientific gear, spare parts, food, clothing and other items for the crew.
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It arrived just two days before the station, launched on November 20, 1998, marks its 20th anniversary in orbit. The ISS, which usually accommodates up to six crew from different nations, is deemed to be one of the greatest successes of world powers’ cooperation in space.
Progress is not the only resupply ship scheduled to dock at the station. A US Cygnus spacecraft will arrive later on Monday.
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