Russia’s Progress MS-06 Cargo Spacecraft that was launched using Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket on June 14 has successfully docked with the international space station. Progress MS-06—identified by NASA as 67P or Progress 67—was launched from the Baikonur space site in Kazakhstan on and docked automatically with Zvezda service module of the ISS on June 16.

Docking of Progress MS-06

Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin monitored the entire docking process that was accomplished smoothly at 1137 GMT, about 415 km above the surface of Earth. According to Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, Yurchikhin was prepared to intervene in docking process in case of need.

The crew—NASA’s Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer and Russia’s Fyodor Yurchikhin—will now the start the process of unloading the spacecraft after checking the airlock and equalizing the pressure inside the space station and the spacecraft.

NASA spokesman Rob Navias described the spacecraft’s journey as “smooth”. Progress spacecraft carried with it food, water, fuel, medical and sanitary equipment and a variety of other items for astronauts currently on board ISS. MS-06 is the third robotic cargo spacecraft to dock or depart from ISS in recent weeks. On June 5, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft arrived at ISS. This cargo ship will leave the space station on July 2. An Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft also left ISS on June 11 to end its resupply mission.

Progress cargo spacecraft

The Progress is an expendable cargo spacecraft derived from the manned Soyuz spacecraft. This spacecraft was designed and developed to supply essential items to astronauts in space to make their long duration mission possible. While this spacecraft doesn’t carry astronauts, it is classified as manned spacecraft as crew members at ISS can board it after the spacecraft is docked at the space station.

Each year, Roscosmos conducts three to four Progress flights to the ISS.

About Roscosmos

The Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities (formerly known as the Russian Aviation and Space Agency) is the Russian government body responsible for aerospace research and the space science program in Russia. It is headquartered in Moscow and was created in 2015 after merging of former Roscosmos and the United Rocket and Space Corporation.

Roscosmos uses Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for launching manned and unmanned missions to space. The agency is an active partner in ISS program and has contributed several space modules—including Zvezda, Zarya, and Rassvet—to ISS. The agency also manages expedition crew launches using its Soyuz-TMA spacecraft.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED