Russia's Progress M-19M cargo craft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Wednesday (April 24) at 5:12 a.m. CDT (1012 GMT) on a two-day trip to the International Space Station.
The Progress, the 51st Russian unmanned craft to bring supplies to the ISS, made it to orbit and deployed its solar arrays as planned.
One of the five sets of KURS automated rendezvous antennas used as navigational aids did not deploy. Russian ground controllers are assessing the antenna, which is used to measure orientation of the Progress vehicle, and how to troubleshoot the problem.
Unlike the three prior freighter flights, Progress M-19M is relegated to the typical two-day rendezvous rather than a six-hour sprint because of the phasing and orbital mechanics associated with this launch date.
The cargo craft is scheduled to dock with the station's Zvezda service module Friday (April 26) at 7:26 a.m. CDT (1226 GMT). It is loaded with 1,764 pounds (800 kilograms) of propellant, 48 pounds (22 kg) of oxygen, 57 pounds (26 kg) of air, 926 pounds (420 kg) of water and 3,483 pounds (1580 kg) of spare parts, experiment hardware and other supplies for the station crew.
After being emptied by the station's crew, Progress M-19M will be filled with trash and then undocked from the station on June 11 to make way for the arrival of the European Space Agency's "Albert Einstein" Automated Transfer Vehicle 4 on June 15.