It will dock to the station on Wednesday

Jul 25, 2009 09:02 GMT  ·  By
A picture of the Soyuz rocket carrying the unmanned Progress 34 module taking off from Kazakhstan
   A picture of the Soyuz rocket carrying the unmanned Progress 34 module taking off from Kazakhstan

Russian mission controllers announced the successful launch of the unmanned Progress 34 (M-67) spacecraft, which carries supplies for the International Space Station. The successful take-off took place at the RosCosmos-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, at 6:56 am EDT (1056 GMT) on July 24th. The automated module was carried by a Russian-built Soyuz rocket, which is the backbone of the country's space fleet. The craft is scheduled to dock to the ISS on Wednesday, after it plays catch-up for a few days in low-Earth orbit.

 

The 2 and a half tons of fresh supplies are destined for the permanent, six-member crew aboard the ISS, which now constitute Expedition 20. They include food, clothing, water, and oxygen, as well as various other scientific equipment that is required for the large number of experiments conducted on the orbital laboratory. “Perfect! We'll be waiting for it. Maybe they'll bring something fresh for us,” replied RosComos astronaut and ISS commander Gennedy Padalka, when Mission Control announced the successful take-off of Progress 34, Space reports.

 

The spacecraft will dock to the station amidst construction work, conducted by the crew of space shuttle Endeavor, which arrived there last week. The shuttle is scheduled to remain hooked up to the ISS until Tuesday, when it will separate and begin its return trip home. It is scheduled to land Friday, July 31st, at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. So, mission controllers say, there will be a one-day interval between the two spacecrafts, so as to avoid any potential threats to their integrity.

 

The new supplies will benefit the current 13 members aboard the facility, which is the largest number of space residents gathered in the same place ever recorded. The Progress 34 capsule carries about 1,830 pounds (830 kilograms) of propellant for the station, which can be used in case of emergencies, if the football stadium-sized structure is to maneuver in orbit to avoid space junk. Additionally, 2,718 pounds (1,232 kg) of spare parts and science equipment will also be delivered, next to 463 pounds (210 kg) of water and some 110 pounds (50 kg) of oxygen.