posted 07-02-2015 10:44 AM               

Progress M-28M rolled out for launch

The 60th Russian resupply ship to launch to the International Space Station rolled out to its launch pad on Wednesday (July 1).

The Progress M-28M (60P) freighter is now standing poised on Pad No. 1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in preparation for a 11:55 p.m. CDT launch Thursday (0455 GMT or 10:55 a.m. local time Friday). The uncrewed craft is packed with more than 3 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station's Expedition 44 crew.

Once in orbit, the Progress will begin a two-day rendezvous with the space station, leading to a link-up with the Pirs docking compartment on Sunday (June 5) at 2:13 a.m. CDT (0713 GMT).

This is the first launch of a Progress since the loss of M-27M in late April. To avoid another failure — which investigators believe was caused by excessive vibrations between the Progress and its rocket's third stage — Russia reverted to using an older Soyuz-U booster for this launch.

posted 07-03-2015 12:22 AM               

Progress M-28M launch resumes Russian cargo runs to space station

Russia's 60th resupply ship launch to the International Space Station reached its intended orbit early Friday (July 3), marking a return to normal flight operations for the Progress spacecraft since a prior freighter tumbled out of control and was lost in late April.

Progress M-28M lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Pad No. 1 in Kazakhstan at 12:55 a.m. EDT (0455 GMT; 10:55 a.m. local) for a two-day rendezvous with the space station. The uncrewed craft is scheduled to linkup with the complex's Russian Pirs docking compartment at 3:13 a.m. EDT (0713 GMT) on Sunday (July 5).

posted 07-05-2015 02:31 AM               

Progress M-28M docks at space station

Russia's Progress M-28M resupply vehicle docked at the International Space Station early Sunday (July 5), two days after its launch.

"Guys, congratulations. Your cargo vehicle has arrived," Russian flight director Vladimir Solovyov radioed from the TsUP mission control.

"It feels like Christmas in July!" responded a station crew member.

Loaded with more than three tons of supplies, the Progress linked up with the space station's Pirs docking compartment at 2:11 a.m. CDT (0711 GMT) as the two craft were traveling about 251 miles (404 km) above the south Pacific, southeast of New Zealand.

The station's crew planned to open hatches around 5 a.m. CDT. The Progress will remain at the station for four months.

posted 12-19-2015 08:26 AM               

Progress M-28M departs space station

Russia's Progress M-28M (60P) cargo ship undocked from the space station on Saturday morning (Dec. 19) at 1:35 a.m. CST (0735 GMT).

The Progress then moved away from the orbiting laboratory to await flight engineers commanding it to reenter Earth's atmosphere later on Saturday for a fiery destruction over the Pacific Ocean.

The departure clears the Pirs docking compartment for the docking of Progress MS-01 (62P), scheduled for Wednesday (Dec. 23).