posted 11-26-2008 08:46 AM               

Progress Launches to Space Station

An unpiloted Progress cargo carrier launched on time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station at 7:38 a.m. EST Wednesday with almost 2.7 tons of fuel, air, water, propellant and other supplies and equipment aboard.

Nine minutes later, the Progress reached orbit and deployed its solar arrays. One of several antennas associated with the Kurs automated rendezvous system apparently did not deploy. The Progress passed out of range of Russian ground stations before all of the data from the initial post-insertion analysis could be received.

Russian flight controllers will review data in the hours ahead and determine whether any troubleshooting may be required. The antenna in question is one of two so-called "narrow field proximity antennas" used for range and range rate updates to the Progress computers through the final stage of its approach for docking at the Pirs Docking Compartment.

The station's 31st Progress unpiloted spacecraft brings to the orbiting laboratory more than 1,800 pounds of propellant, more than 100 pounds of oxygen and air, more than 450 pounds of water and nearly 3,000 pounds of dry cargo. Total cargo weight is 5,342 pounds.

P31 replaces the trash-filled P30 which undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module Nov. 14 and will deorbit Dec. 7 for destruction in the Earth's atmosphere after geophysical experiments.

P31 is scheduled to dock to the station Nov. 30, after two extra days in orbit for testing. P31 has avionics upgrades, including a new main computer, accelerometers, telemetry downlink system, additional interfaces to the docking system and display overlays.

Once the cargo is unloaded, P31 will be filled with trash and station discards. It will be undocked from the station and before deorbit, it may freefly to test new Soyuz navigation software. Then, like its predecessors, it will be commanded to re-enter and burn in the Earth's atmosphere.

The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crew members to the station, serves as a lifeboat while they are there and returns them to Earth. The aft module, the instrumentation and propulsion module, is nearly identical.

But the second of the three Progress sections is a refueling module, and the third, uppermost as the Progress sits on the launch pad, is a cargo module. On the Soyuz, the descent module, where the crew is seated on launch and which returns them to Earth, is the middle module and the third is called the orbital module.

posted 11-26-2008 02:31 PM               

Some 3.5 hours after launch, a balky close proximity antenna for the Kurs automated rendezvous system on the ISS Progress 31 cargo ship was commanded to deploy to its nominal position and was locked in place.

Russian flight controllers are assessing whether the inability to initially deploy the antenna will have any impact on docking Sunday.

The antenna in question is one of two so-called "narrow field proximity antennas" used for range and range rate updates to the Progress computers through the final stage of its approach for docking at the Pirs docking compartment.

posted 11-26-2008 03:01 PM               

NASA TV to Broadcast Space Station Cargo Ship Arrival

The residents of the International Space Station will receive a new shipment of fuel, food, supplies and holiday gifts on Sunday, Nov. 30. Docking of the cargo delivery spacecraft, known as ISS Progress 31, is set for 6:23 a.m. CST. NASA Television will begin coverage of the event at 5:45 a.m.

The unpiloted Russian resupply craft is carrying more than two tons of supplies for the station's crew, Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineers Yuri Lonchakov and Sandy Magnus. The ISS Progress 31 launched at 6:38 a.m. Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA TV's broadcast will include commentary and available downlink television of the final hours of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission. Endeavour is scheduled to land Sunday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

posted 11-27-2008 01:54 PM               

NASA adopted this terminology for their manifests and public affairs subsequently adopted it.

Progress M1-01M is Russia's designation for the flight. The change in numbering is indicative of this being an upgraded Progress.

Future flights of this version spacecraft will be designated M-02M, M-03M, etc. (The Soyuz TMA series of spacecraft will also adopt a similar change in numbering when Soyuz TMA-01M flies in 2010).

posted 11-30-2008 06:48 AM               

An unpiloted Progress cargo carrier arrived at the International Space Station's Pirs Docking Compartment at 7:28 a.m. EST Sunday after a four day flight from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Progress docked using the backup TORU manual system. Shortly after launch, one of two proximity antennas of the Kurs automated docking system failed to deploy. Mission Control Moscow successfully commanded deployment of the antenna about three hours later, but Flight Engineer Yuri Lonchakov used the TORU system to bring the Progress to its docking port.

The station's 31st Progress unpiloted spacecraft brings to the orbiting laboratory more than 1,800 pounds of propellant, more than 100 pounds of oxygen and air, more than 450 pounds of water and nearly 3,000 pounds of dry cargo. Total cargo weight is 5,342 pounds.

P31 [M-01M] spent two extra days in orbit for testing its avionics upgrades, including a new main computer, accelerometers, telemetry downlink system, additional interfaces to the docking system and display overlays.

posted 02-06-2009 02:24 PM               

Russian flight controllers will deorbit the Progress over the Pacific Ocean early Sunday morning after conducting engineering tests.