Russia Launches First 'Progress' Since Crash in August ...

October 30, 2011

Russia launches first Progress since crash

A Progress M-13M spaceship carrying nearly three tons of cargo for the International Space Station successfully blasted off from Baikonur at 10.11 GMT on Sunday. The outcome of the mission will determine the future of manned operations at the ISS.

The spacecraft will dock with the space station on Wednesday.

It is the first launch of a Progress since a crash on August 24 when the rocket's third-stage engine shut down prematurely. Engineers discovered that the problem was caused by a low fuel feed, and returned all the engines currently in stock back to the manufacturer for inspection.

This spacecraft has brand new engines, which were manufactured according to stricter quality standards.

The Progress M-13M spacecraft is packed with 2.9 tons of food, fuel and supplies, including 1,653 pounds of propellant, 110 pounds of oxygen, 926 pounds of water, and 3,108 pounds of maintenance gear, spare parts and hardware for experiments.

However, the reason so much attention is being paid to this unmanned launch is not its cargo, as the ISS has enough supplies for almost a year of continuous operation, according to NASA.

The launch is critical because it will pave the way for a manned launch of a Progress twin rocket which is waiting on standby, ready to deliver a replacement crew for the ISS.

Continues ...

NASA astronaut Dan Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Anton Shkaplerov are scheduled to take over the watch on November 13. But their rocket will not be given clearance for launch until its unmanned counterpart successfully reaches the station.

The current crew of the ISS will return to Earth on November 22, and if no replacement is delivered by that date, for the first time since 2000, the station will go into unmanned operation.

link ~ http://rt.com/news/first-progress-launch-iss-103/