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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.
Robert Pearlman
Progress M-19M docks at space station
The Progress M-19M cargo craft completed a two-day journey to the International Space Station (ISS) Friday (April 26) as it docked to the Zvezda service module at 7:25 a.m. CDT (1225 GMT).
The unmanned freighter completed a hard mate when docking hooks were deployed at 7:34 a.m. CDT (1234 GMT).
Roscosmos cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Roman Romanenko monitored the docking while at the controls of TORU, the Russian telerobotic rendezvous system, ready to take manual control of the automated docking process if difficulties arose.
After conducting leak checks at the docking interface, the Expedition 35 crew members opened the hatches to the cargo craft at 10:39 a.m. CDT (1539 GMT) and began the long process of inventorying and unloading its 3.1 tons of food, fuel and equipment.
Robert Pearlman
Progress M-19M undocks from space station
The trash-filled Progress M-19M (51P) resupply craft undocked from the aft-end port of the Zvezda service module Tuesday (June 11) at 9:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT). ISS Expedition 36 commander Pavel Vinogradov closed the Russian cargo freighter's hatch on Monday after a 6.5 week stay at the International Space Station.
Progress M-19M delivered 3.1 tons of food, fuel and equipment for the station crew on April 26. It had launched two days earlier from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
After reaching orbit, one of its antennas for the KURS automated rendezvous system did not deploy.
As the Progress departed, the ship's external cameras focused on the navigational sensors on the Zvezda docking port. Imagery was gathered to confirm the sensors were not damaged when the cargo craft arrived at the station with one of its navigational antennas folded against its side. Those sensors are required for ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 (ATV-4) to dock properly June 15.
The stuck antenna deployed as the Progress backed away from the station.
Progress M-19M will orbit Earth at a safe distance from the station for a few days while controllers in Moscow perform engineering tests. Afterwards, the craft will re-enter Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean for a fiery disposal.
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